UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that additional reductions in funding could overwhelm the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which he described as already under severe strain after major budget cuts and austerity steps. He made the plea during an Assembly session focused on voluntary donations, seeking to close a $100 million shortfall. The agency, which delivers education, health care, and shelter to 2.6 million Palestinians across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria, has slashed service hours by 20 percent, cut local salaries, and left international posts unfilled. Its largest donor, the United States, ended contributions in January 2024 after Israeli allegations that a dozen staff took part in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack; Sweden also canceled its 2025 funding. Guterres said further financial pressure could make the agency’s already fragile situation untenable, jeopardizing its humanitarian mandate.