The U.N. agency responsible for supporting Palestinian refugees said it is preparing to open an office in Turkey’s capital within the next few weeks, marking an expansion of its institutional presence at a time of mounting financial pressure.
Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), told reporters during a visit to Ankara on Thursday that the agency had signed its final agreement with the Turkish government. He said the arrangement has also been endorsed by parliament, and that opening the office is now “a question of weeks.”
The announcement comes as UNRWA warns it is facing a severe funding crunch. A day earlier, the agency said it was going through a “dire” financial crisis that forced it to dismiss 571 staff members originally from Gaza. Those employees, UNRWA said, had continued working after being evacuated from the territory amid the war.
UNRWA said the “extremely difficult” decision followed a decline in the voluntary contributions on which the agency depends, after a period of escalating criticism and attacks by Israel.
Established more than seven decades ago, UNRWA provides aid and services to Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. Lazzarini said the agency continues operating across these areas despite what he described as significant constraints.
