Philip Lazzarini , the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), shed light on the funding crisis facing UNRWA, during the Arab League summit held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Lazzarini urgently called on wealthy Arab countries to reinstate or increase their financial support at a time when UNRWA is struggling to fulfill its mandate and provide vital services to Palestinian refugees.

He stated that despite UNRWA being one of the largest United Nations agencies in the world, they live hand-to-mouth at the end of each month and often remain uncertain about their ability to pay salaries to their approximately 30,000 employees. He added that UNRWA requires $1.4 billion for its operations, programs, and emergency response.