"UN's Palestinian refugee agency cast into forced austerity: 600 staff members laid off, Gaza salaries cut by 20%, working hours reduced; aid access blocked amid worsening humanitarian crisis. Gaza City After 18 years as a teacher with an UNRWA-run school, Maryam Shaaban (name changed for safety reasons) fainted upon learning she was among 600 employees dismissed from their posts, the latest in a barrage of devastating blows borne out of Israel's genocidal war on the besieged enclave."
"Shaaban, 52, who is currently displaced in Egypt with her injured husband, began working with the UN agency in 2007 as a teacher at one of the agency's schools in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Like most residents of Gaza, she suffered a heavy price during Israel's genocidal war. She was displaced with her family from Jabalia to Nuseirat, in central Gaza, where they took refuge in her brother's home."
UNRWA announced harsh austerity measures after a projected 2026 budget shortfall of about $220 million. Measures include a 20% salary cut for local Gaza staff, reduced working hours, and termination of contracts for employees based outside Gaza placed on exceptional leave, leading to 600 dismissals. The shortfall threatens core operations, including staff pay and humanitarian programs. Many affected staff are displaced and injured; one long-serving teacher lost family members in Israeli attacks and is now displaced in Egypt. Simultaneously, aid access to Gaza has been blocked amid ongoing Israeli military campaigns that have severely damaged UNRWA operations.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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