On July 30, 2028, Ahmad Abu Holi, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and head of the Refugee Affairs Department, met with the Brazilian Ambassador to Palestine, João Marcelo Soares, to discuss the severe financial crisis facing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), along with the political and operational challenges it confronts.
During the meeting, held at the Brazilian Embassy office in Ramallah and attended by Deputy Ambassador Germano Corrêa, they also reviewed the dire conditions in Palestinian refugee camps, the ongoing Israeli targeting of these camps, recent developments in the Palestinian issue, and international efforts to halt what was described as a war of extermination and starvation, ensure humanitarian aid enters Gaza, and ultimately bring an end to the occupation.
Abu Holi urged Brazil to significantly increase its funding to UNRWA—restoring it to the levels seen in 2019—or to sign a multi-year predictable financing agreement with the agency. He also encouraged UNRWA to establish national committees in South American Mercosur countries to mobilize donations in support of its budget.
He highlighted the critical importance of collective efforts to fill the $200 million funding gap in UNRWA’s 2025 budget, warning that without new funding, its operations across all five areas of activity could collapse by early September.
Abu Holi further emphasized that Brazil—having joined UNRWA’s advisory committee in 2014 as the first Latin American country—became its chair as of July 1, 2028, serving through June 30, 2026, succeeding Spain. He called on Brazil to leverage its leadership to support UNRWA’s mandate as established in UN General Assembly Resolution 302, refrain from transferring its responsibilities to host governments or international organizations, and bolster political and financial support for the agency in international fora. He also requested support for exploring innovative funding windows and partnerships with new donors, including engagement with the private sector.
Ambassador Soares reaffirmed Brazil's strong political backing for UNRWA as a life-saving organization that cannot be replaced. He pledged continued financial support, assistance pursuing new private sector partnerships, and diplomatic efforts in international venues to defend UNRWA’s mandate and secure sustainable funding.
He emphasized the importance of collective action to mobilize financial resources for UNRWA to close the funding gap, which has reached US $200 million in its budget for this year. He warned of the risk that UNRWA’s operations across its five fields of activity could come to a halt in early September unless it receives additional funding from donors.
He noted that Brazil is one of UNRWA’s principal donors, and had joined the Advisory Commission in 2014 as the first Latin American country. Abu Holi expressed hope that Brazil—having assumed the chairmanship of the Advisory Commission effective 1 July 2025 until 30 June 2026—would play a key role in rallying political and financial support for UNRWA. He praised Brazil’s political and financial support for UNRWA, affirming that Brazil’s position was crucial in continuing its support and not suspending funding.
He added: "Brazil is a strong political supporter of UNRWA, as evidenced by its rejection of the two recently proposed Israeli laws and its affirmation of UNRWA’s irreplaceable life-saving role. Brazil was among the first countries to sign the Shared Commitments initiative to support UNRWA, launched by Jordan, Kuwait and Slovenia on 22 May 2024, to confront the operational, political, and financial challenges facing the agency".
Abu Holi also addressed the four scenarios outlined in the UNRWA Strategic Evaluation Report, stating that they conflict with UN General Assembly Resolution 302, with the positions of host countries, and with the majority of UN Member States. These stakeholders have emphasized the need to confront the acute political and financial challenges facing UNRWA to ensure the sustainability of its services to Palestinian refugees—services which cannot be replaced until a political resolution is found, as outlined in UN Resolution 194.
He called on Brazil, in its capacity as Chair of the Advisory Commission, to support UNRWA’s mandate fully by allowing it to operate according to the authority granted in Resolution 302, and to reject any attempt to undermine its mandate or gradually transfer its responsibilities to host governments or international organizations.
Dr. Abu Holi praised Brazil’s supportive stance toward the Palestinian cause and its unwavering recognition of the Palestinian people's legitimate, inalienable rights, as well as its endorsement of the two‑state solution. He condemned Israel’s genocidal war and the occupation government's policies that erode the prospects for peace.
He highlighted that Brazil’s support for the Palestinian cause is longstanding, spanning five decades of consistent backing. He stressed the importance of strengthening and expanding Palestinian‑Brazilian relations across multiple areas—including culture, sports, and professional exchange—especially following the formal implementation of the Palestinian‑Brazil Mercosur free trade agreement in July 2024.
Dr. Abu Holi briefed the Brazilian Ambassador on the on‑ground situation in refugee camps in the northern West Bank, amid continued Israeli military operations there. He also described the war of extermination and starvation in Gaza, which has led to over 200,000 Palestinians killed or injured, mostly women and children, 1.9 million displaced, and approximately 2.4 million in severe hunger. He emphasized that Gaza residents are enduring unprecedented levels of famine, with UN agencies warning of mass starvation and rising deaths from malnutrition, particularly among children, the ill, and people with disabilities.
He urged Brazil to act politically with other UN Member States to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, halt the genocidal campaign, open crossings for humanitarian aid, reject any forced displacement of Gazans, halt annexation and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, support the two‑state solution, and ensure UNRWA can continue delivering its services under its mandate via UN Resolution 302.
The Brazilian Ambassador, João Marcelo Soares, reaffirmed Brazil’s support for the vital, life-saving role of UNRWA, stating that the agency serves millions of refugees in its areas of operation and is irreplaceable. He highlighted Brazil’s position as a strong political supporter of UNRWA and affirmed Brazil will continue its diplomatic efforts in international forums to support the renewal of its mandate United Nations.
As Chair of UNRWA’s Advisory Commission for the upcoming term, Ambassador Soares pledged that Brazil would intensify engagement with the private sector to support UNRWA. He emphasized Brazil’s commitment to helping UNRWA identify new partners, donors, and innovative financing channels to stabilize its budget United Nations.
He described the operating environment as highly complex amid UNRWA’s financial and operational challenges, noting that most countries—including Brazil—are facing economic and fiscal pressures that may affect their contributions to UNRWA.
The Ambassador further explained that the United Nations system is itself under financial and political strain, prompting UN Secretary-General António Guterres to commission a strategic evaluation of UNRWA. Members of the Advisory Commission, including Brazil, are in communication with their representatives in New York to review the evaluation and provide assessments Serviços e Informações do Brasil.
Ambassador Soares underscored that UNRWA represents a red line and must be preserved until a political resolution for Palestinian refugees is found in accordance with UN resolutions. He called for joint efforts by Member States to uphold UNRWA’s mandate, enable it to conduct its humanitarian duties under Resolution 302, and resist efforts to reduce its authority or transfer responsibilities to host governments or other organizations.
