Indonesia will maintain its annual US$1.2 million contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Foreign Minister Sugiono announced on Thursday, September 28, 2026. Speaking at a UN ministerial session in New York, the minister urged the international community to bolster financial and political backing for the agency as it confronts severe operational hurdles and mounting geopolitical pressure.
Indonesian Financial Pledge and Policy Stance
During the ministerial gathering aimed at consolidating financial backing for UNRWA, Minister Sugiono stated that Indonesia’s support remains firm and consistent. According to statements reported by [source], the foreign minister emphasized that millions of Palestinian refugees depend on the agency’s existence, making it vital that the organization carries out its mandate fully and effectively.
Sugiono called on UN member states to provide sustained funding and demanded strong protection for UNRWA staff and facilities. He also urged the international community to safeguard the agency’s credibility and integrity against disinformation and deliberate efforts to undermine its operations.
The announcement follows a notable diplomatic shift observed during President Prabowo Subianto’s address to the UN General Assembly in 2025. While the Indonesian President signaled a potential openness to recognizing Israel conditional on Palestinian statehood and security guarantees during high-level UN meetings last year, recent events mark a repositioning toward Jakarta’s traditional solidarity stance. This return to course was highlighted by an Indonesian delegation walkout during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s General Assembly speech, alongside Sugiono's active participation in Palestine-focused diplomatic meetings in New York.
UNRWA Financial Crisis and Gaza Casualties
Addressing the same ministerial session, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that UNRWA faces a severe financial crisis driven by a $100 million cash shortfall. Guterres stated that this funding deficit puts critical operations at immediate risk and threatens the welfare of millions of refugees, leaving the agency’s capacity to act seriously imperiled while regional stability hangs in the balance.
The UN chief detailed the severe toll exacted on the agency’s personnel and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Nearly 400 members of UNRWA’s local workforce have been killed in the conflict, while hundreds of organization premises across the Occupied Palestinian Territory have been rendered inaccessible, severely damaged, or utterly destroyed.
“These actions are wholly unacceptable and inconsistent with Israel’s obligations under international law, including the UN Charter,” Guterres said during the session.
Humanitarian Coordination with the Red Cross
A day after the UN ministerial meeting, Foreign Minister Sugiono held bilateral talks with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger. According to Foreign Ministry statements, the two officials focused on pressing humanitarian issues and the protection of civilians caught in conflict zones, with a primary emphasis on Gaza.
Sugiono and Spoljaric Egger agreed to deepen humanitarian cooperation through concrete, collaborative measures on the ground, reinforcing international frameworks designed to protect noncombatants in active theaters of war.
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