Gaza Metropolis — After 18 years as a instructor with an UNRWA-run faculty, Maryam Shaaban (title modified for security causes) fainted upon studying she was amongst 600 staff dismissed from their posts, the most recent in a barrage of devastating blows borne out of Israel’s genocidal warfare on the besieged enclave.
Earlier in January, the United Nations company for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) introduced a sequence of harsh austerity measures, together with a 20 p.c wage reduce for native workers in Gaza, diminished working hours, and the termination of contracts for workers based mostly outdoors Gaza who had been beforehand positioned on “distinctive go away”.
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Based on a letter despatched to affected workers by UNRWA Commissioner-Common Philippe Lazzarini, the company mentioned it was compelled to take steps on account of a extreme monetary shortfall in its 2026 price range of some $220m.
The deficit threatens the company’s capability to fulfill core operational obligations, together with workers salaries and the continuation of important humanitarian programmes.
Shaaban, 52, who’s at present displaced in Egypt along with her injured husband, started working with the UN company in 2007 as a instructor at one of many company’s colleges in Jabalia, northern Gaza.
Like most residents of Gaza, she suffered a heavy worth throughout Israel’s genocidal warfare.
She was displaced along with her household from Jabalia to Nuseirat, in central Gaza, the place they took refuge in her brother’s residence. In December 2023, they have been hit by a direct Israeli air assault that killed 15 individuals and injured dozens.
Among the many victims have been Maryam’s 22-year-old daughter, her brother, and his complete household.
Israeli concentrating on of UNRWA
Sustained Israeli campaigns to decimate and denigrate the company have escalated to unprecedented ranges.
Israel has repeatedly accused the company of being lenient or complicit with Palestinian armed teams, with out offering verifiable proof. These are allegations UNRWA has vehemently denied, stressing that it takes disciplinary motion in opposition to any worker confirmed to be concerned in wrongdoing.
In 2025, the Israeli Knesset handed laws successfully banning the company’s operations in areas it considers a part of “Israeli sovereignty”, together with occupied East Jerusalem, claiming the company poses a safety menace.
The company rejected the regulation as unlawful and mentioned it locations it in direct confrontation with Israeli authorities.
As of this month, the UN company has recorded deaths in Israeli assaults of greater than 380 of its workers members in Gaza since October 2023.
Earlier this month, Israel despatched in bulldozers, partially destroying UNRWA’s headquarters in East Jerusalem. Israeli lawmakers and members of the far-right authorities have been additionally current, in keeping with Lazzarini, who mentioned the assault got here “within the wake of different steps taken by Israeli authorities to erase the Palestine Refugee id”.
As a UN company, it enjoys worldwide authorized standing. UN Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in January that he might take Israel to the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice (ICJ) if it doesn’t repeal laws targeting UNRWA and return its seized property and property.
‘By what regulation does this occur?’
Maryam herself sustained minor accidents within the Israeli assault, whereas 5 of her youngsters additionally suffered accidents. Her husband was critically wounded within the neck.
In April 2024, she left Gaza as a medical companion to her partner, who was referred for remedy at an Egyptian hospital. She was compelled to depart behind the remainder of her youngsters in Gaza, together with those that have been wounded.
“It looks like leaving for remedy and escaping demise has develop into a criminal offense we’re being punished for,” Maryam instructed Al Jazeera by telephone, her voice breaking with tears.
“Wasn’t it sufficient that I spent all this time grieving for my injured youngsters, being away from them and always frightened about them whereas accompanying my husband in remedy? They added to our wounds by dismissing us from our jobs. By what regulation does this occur?”
For Maryam and lots of others who have been displaced outdoors Gaza through the warfare, the blow was particularly extreme, because it adopted a February 2025 resolution to position them on “distinctive go away” even if lots of them continued educating remotely.
“All my youngsters are injured and have metallic plates of their limbs. They suffered immensely after my wage stopped,” mentioned the mom of eight.
Up to now two weeks, the disaster has prolonged to staff who stay within the Strip, after the company determined to chop their salaries by 20 p.c, a transfer that has additional deepened their humanitarian struggling amid Gaza’s catastrophic situations.
The monetary shortfall comes amid a decline in worldwide donations, which had lengthy shaped the spine of UNRWA’s price range, significantly after a number of donor states froze their contributions following Israeli allegations in opposition to a few of its staff.
UNRWA supplies important providers to thousands and thousands of Palestinian refugees, who make up about 70 p.c of the Gaza inhabitants, together with training, healthcare, and social help, taking part in a central function in sustaining a minimal stage of stability amid repeated Israeli wars and restrictions on crossings.
Why Gaza first?
There was widespread anger and protests amongst UNRWA workers in Gaza, each inside and out of doors the Strip, who argue that the measures disproportionately goal Gaza in contrast with the company’s different 5 areas of operation: the occupied West Financial institution, Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
Mustafa al-Ghoul, head of the UNRWA workers union in Gaza and a dentist who has labored with the company for 29 years, questioned why Gaza — probably the most devastated and space — was chosen as the primary sacrifice.
“All of the measures began in Gaza, as if Gaza just isn’t already overwhelmed by demise, destruction, and starvation,” he instructed Al Jazeera, standing in entrance of their partially destroyed headquarters in Gaza Metropolis.
Of a number of the 600 dismissed Palestinian staff who have been outdoors Gaza, the slicing off of their salaries and financial savings with out prior discover, al-Ghoul mentioned, “Some are sick. Some have most cancers. Some have been on official go away. Some misplaced their complete households. Some left to deal with a grandchild, after which they’re punished with dismissal and deprivation of their rights.”
“Gaza wants somebody to heal its wounds. Gaza is dying. You see tents, demise, and destruction in all places. Gaza wants compassion, not dismissals and the drying up of its lifelines,” al-Ghoul appealed to UNRWA’s management.
‘UNRWA was the spine of our survival’
Union warnings in regards to the penalties of UNRWA cuts are already seen within the scarred every day lives of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, significantly in training, healthcare and meals safety.
This decline is mirrored within the testimony of Jihan al-Harazin, 28, a mom of three, displaced in Gaza Metropolis, whose household relied nearly solely on the company’s providers.
“UNRWA was the spine of our survival, in well being, training, and meals. It offered all the pieces,” she instructed Al Jazeera.
That actuality, nevertheless, has modified dramatically for the reason that warfare started.
“Now, there’s nothing,” Jihan mentioned, referring to the meals assist that UNRWA has not been capable of distribute for months.
Since October 2023, all humanitarian businesses, significantly the UN egency, have confronted persistent obstacles in delivering assist to Gaza.
On a number of events, Lazzarini accused Israel of utilizing humanitarian assist as a political software. He mentioned Israel is utilizing assist to Gaza “as a weapon” to deepen civilian struggling.
‘A warfare waged on humanitarian work’ in Gaza
Amjad Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGOs Community (PNGO) in Gaza, instructed Al Jazeera that UNRWA represents “the spine of humanitarian work within the Palestinian territory”, stressing that its function extends past providers to the political core of the refugee situation as one of many final pillars of humanitarian and social stability in Gaza.
“UNRWA carries a central trigger for our individuals, the refugee trigger itself. It was established by a UN Common Meeting decision and has operated for many years,” he mentioned.
Al-Shawa mentioned the company is dealing with “steady Israeli incitement” alongside Israeli bans on its operations within the occupied Palestinian territory, significantly Gaza, and the obstruction of humanitarian assist.
He warned that weakening UNRWA serves Israel’s agenda to erase the Palestinians’ proper of return and compensation. That has been a key objective of the successive Israeli governments.
Linking the company’s cuts to a broader marketing campaign in opposition to humanitarian work in Gaza, al-Shawa famous Israel has confronted global condemnation after a ban on dozens of worldwide assist organisations working to supply life-saving help to Palestinians within the war-ravaged Gaza Strip got here into impact.
“There’s a warfare being waged in opposition to humanitarian work, together with UNRWA, and we’re paying the worth for our dedication to worldwide humanitarian regulation, a regulation the Israeli occupation refuses to uphold.”
