UN spokesperson urges safe passage and aid as Rafah reopens; flags UNRWA staffing cuts amid tight finances

The UN spokesperson said a limited reopening of the Rafah crossing allowed some patients and companions to leave Gaza directly into Egypt and others to transit via Israeli-controlled crossings, and affirmed that civilians must be allowed to leave and return voluntarily and safely under international law.

The briefing noted that the World Health Organization supported medical evacuations and that the last medical evacuation through Rafah dated to May 2024. The UN system — including OCHA, UNDP and the Department of Safety and Security — carried out technical and access assessments and, together with WHO and NGO partners, set up a reception area at Nasir Hospital in Khan Yunis. The reception area is staffed with psychologists and protection specialists and provides food, information materials and internet access for returning people.

Reporters asked about recent reports that some international NGOs had been banned from Gaza and the West Bank and about UNRWA reducing staff hours and cutting salaries by about 20 percent. The spokesperson said he had not seen a report of a blanket NGO ban and emphasized the importance of organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières to UN humanitarian operations. On UNRWA, he described an “extremely difficult financial situation” for the agency’s leadership and said that its leadership cannot "create money out of nothing," framing reduced hours and pay as an unfortunate measure taken to avoid widespread layoffs while resources are insufficient.

The spokesperson reiterated the UN position that humanitarian and commercial cargo must enter Gaza in sufficient quantities and with fewer restrictions through Rafah and other crossings. He said monitoring at crossings is limited to UN personnel present inside Gaza to assist returning Palestinians, and that the UN is not conducting screening or administrative processing at the crossing.

The briefing closed with a reminder that the UN continues to press for greater access and resources to meet urgent medical and humanitarian needs in Gaza. No new UN decision on UNRWA staffing or new NGO access restrictions was announced at the briefing; the spokesperson instead described immediate operational responses and outlined the funding shortfall constraining services.