Date: March 3, 2025
Abu Holi Meets the Spanish Ambassador to Palestine to Discusses Refugee Camps, Palestinian Refugees, and UNRWA’s Financial Crisis
• Emphasized the continuation of UNRWA’s irreplaceable work in accordance with its mandate under Resolution 302.
• Called for an international conference to support UNRWA politically and financially.
Dr. Ahmed Abu Holi, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and head of the Refugee Affairs Department, met with the Spanish Ambassador to Palestine, José Javier Gutiérrez Blanco-Navarrete, to discuss the situation in Palestinian refugee camps amid systematic Israeli escalations. They also addressed the conditions of Palestinian refugees in UNRWA’s five areas of operation, the challenges facing the agency due to its ongoing financial crisis, continuous Israeli incitement against it, the enforcement of Israeli laws banning its activities, and ways to counter these measures while enabling UNRWA to carry out its mandate under Resolution 302.
During their meeting today (Monday),at the Refugee Affairs Department headquarters in Ramallah, Dr. Abu Holi reaffirmed the continuation of UNRWA’s work, which is irreplaceable under its UN General Assembly mandate (Resolution 302). He emphasized that UNRWA remains a pillar of humanitarian efforts in Gaza and a lifeline for millions of Palestinian refugees in Palestine and host countries such as Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. He highlighted that the agency embodies international responsibility toward the Palestinian refugee issue until a political solution is found in line with Resolution 194.
Dr. Abu Holi urged Spain to act collectively with UN member states and the European Union to pressure Israel, as the occupying power, to revoke the laws banning UNRWA’s activities. He also called for action within the UN (Fifth Committee) to increase UNRWA’s allocation in the UN’s regular budget.
He addressed the chronic financial crisis UNRWA is facing, exacerbated by the continued suspension of U.S. funding, the halt in funding from Sweden and Switzerland for this year, and the announcement by four major EU donor states of their intention to reduce their contributions. He noted that UNRWA’s programmatic/regular budget amounts to $913.672 million but faces a significant deficit, threatening its ability to continue operations and services for millions of Palestinian refugees.
Dr. Abu Holi stated:” We look forward to an important role from Spain to support UNRWA during the coming period, through its Presidency of the Advisory Commission, by making contacts with Sweden and Switzerland and asking them to restore their funding to UNRWA, and urging the member states of the European Union to increase their funding to UNRWA in 2025, rather than decreasing it”.
Additionally, he called on the leadership of the Advisory Commission (Spain, Jordan, Brazil) to work collectively with Lebanon (head of the Subcommittee) to organize an international conference to support UNRWA politically and financially. This would enable the agency fulfill its mandate and overcome the political, operational, and financial challenges it faces before the upcoming Advisory Commission meeting in June.
Dr. Abu Holi commended Spain’s consistent support for UNRWA—both at the central and regional government levels—politically and financially, as well as its support for Palestinian rights at the UN and its condemnation of Israeli settlement policies and forced displacement. He also praised Spain’s rejection of the Israeli laws banning UNRWA’s operations, stressing that Spain’s continued funding since 1958 has been crucial in supporting UNRWA’s budget. He noted that Spain is ranked 11th among UNRWA’s top donors after tripling its contribution in 2023.
Dr. Abu Holi briefed the Spanish ambassador on the dire conditions in Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza due to the ongoing Israeli aggression. He highlighted that the Israeli assault on northern West Bank refugee camps—launched on January 21 under “Operation Iron Wall”—has so far displaced over 41,000 Palestinian refugees from the Jenin, Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and Far’a camps. The assault has resulted in dozens of martyrs and hundreds of injuries, mostly among children and women, while also destroying vital infrastructure, including water and sewage networks, electricity and communication grids, roads, and hundreds of homes. It has also forced UNRWA to suspend its operations and close its 13 schools and health clinics in the affected areas.
He also detailed the catastrophic situation of Palestinian refugees in Gaza following the devastating war of extermination and starvation, which has turned refugee camps into rubble and left them without basic necessities. He noted that 1.6 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza are now displaced in tents, suffering from widespread unemployment and poverty, and relying entirely on UNRWA’s emergency aid as their lifeline. He warned against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision to block humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, which aims to starve its population and force them into displacement.
Additionally, he pointed out the dire conditions of Palestinian refugees in camps across Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon due to UNRWA’s reduction of emergency assistance caused by its financial shortfall.
