New York:UN Secretary-General António Guterres has reiterated his unwavering support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), underscoring its crucial role in aiding Palestinian refugees.

According to Qatar News Agency, Guterres, through his Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric, emphasized the necessity for UNRWA's essential operations to receive full financial backing.

UNRWA recently highlighted that approximately 1.98 million individuals in the Gaza Strip, accounting for 94 percent of the local population, are in urgent need of assistance for shelter and non-food items. Established in 1949 by the UN General Assembly, UNRWA is tasked with providing humanitarian aid and protection to registered Palestinian refugees, pending a fair and lasting solution to their situation.

The agency functions across the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. It supports Palestine refugees in realizing their full human development potential through quality services in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, infrastructure and camp improvement, and microfinance, alongside emergency assistance.