NEW YORK (Dispatches) – Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini has expressed that the decision of the Swedish government to stop funding UNRWA in 2025 “is disappointing and comes at the worst time for Palestine Refugees. The decision is one day after the members of the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution in support of UNRWA.”
“Sweden has been a reliable longstanding partner to UNRWA providing both political and financial support for decades,” he added, noting: “This is a sad day for Palestine Refugees and the multilateral system which Sweden has spearheaded.”
Sweden’s decision to stop funding comes as “UNRWA is under unprecedented politically driven attacks, including through the use of disinformation. The attacks aim at stripping the Palestinians from their refugee status,” Lazzarini said.
Lazzarini warned that the cessation of funding for UNRWA would undermine decades of Sweden’s investment in human development, including depriving hundreds of thousands of girls and boys in the region of their right to education: “For the people of Gaza, this decision will double their suffering endured over the past 14 months since October 7.”
The commissioner-general went on to say: “I hope the Government of Sweden will reconsider its decision and pursue its longstanding solidarity by investing in both a political solution and the human development of Palestine Refugees through UNRWA.”
Meanwhile, UNRWA Emergency Officer Louise Wateridge, speaking from Nuseirat in central Gaza, described the dire humanitarian conditions in the besieged territory, where repeated Israeli attacks have left residents exposed to cold and rain with little shelter.
“The world is not seeing what’s going on with these people—it’s impossible for families to shelter in these conditions,” said Wateridge, highlighting the desperate need for aid as heavy rains were forecast to worsen the situation on Friday evening. She noted that most residents are living under makeshift fabric shelters, lacking even basic waterproof structures. “Sixty-nine percent of the buildings here have been damaged or destroyed. There’s absolutely nowhere for people to shelter from these elements,” Wateridge added.
Describing the catastrophic state of Gaza, she remarked, “An entire society here is now a graveyard. Over 2 million people are trapped. They cannot escape. And people continue to have basic needs deprived, and it just feels like every path here that you could possibly take is leading to death.” 
Rosalia Bollen, a UNICEF communication specialist also said that children in Gaza are “cold, sick and traumatized”, and 96 percent of women and children cannot meet their basic nutritional needs. 
“Gaza must be one of the most heartbreaking places on earth for humanitarians. Every small effort to save a child’s life is undone by fierce devastation,” Bollen said in a statement.