Thailand pledges $250,000 to UNRWA as agency warns of cash shortfall

Thailand has pledged $200,000 to UNRWA over five years from 2027, alongside a further $50,000 for the agency’s 2026 emergency appeal, as the UN refugee agency warns that a funding shortfall is putting services at risk.

Thailand’s representative announced the commitments at a UNRWA pledging conference on 30 June. The country’s mission to the United Nations in New York later published the same figures. The announcements do not establish that the money has been paid.

UNRWA acting commissioner-general Christian Saunders told the conference that the agency faced a $100 million cash-flow deficit for 2026. He said it had cut service delivery hours by 20 per cent and reduced salaries for many Palestinian staff. The agency provides healthcare, education and other services to Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Delegates from several countries urged donors to provide more predictable funding. Malaysia, meanwhile, cited shortages of shelter materials, fuel and medical supplies in Gaza, and said that about 121,000 tents were still needed as of 1 November, with stocks in the territory at 2,810.

The conference also heard calls for UNRWA to continue reforms on neutrality and accountability. Saunders said 40 of 50 recommendations from an independent review had been fully implemented, with work continuing on the remainder.

The funding appeal comes amid wider financial pressure on the agency: Saunders told the General Assembly’s Fourth Committee in November that UNRWA faced a $250 million deficit for 2026 and would need to seek a loan to keep paying staff through the end of the year. The agency’s budget shortfall and the proposed loan were part of his appeal for urgent support.