Ireland will allocate €42 million in funding for the people of Palestine in 2026, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said on a visit to the Middle East.
The sum will include €20 million in core funding to support the work of United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) in providing services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank and across the region.
“The funding announced today demonstrates Ireland’s continued support for the people of Palestine and our commitment to supporting UN partners providing vital aid and assistance,” Ms McEntee said while visiting the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza.
“The humanitarian and human rights situation across Gaza and the West Bank remains incredibly stark. This funding from Ireland will help to provide food, shelter, water, sanitation, health and education for people across Palestine. It will be primarily delivered through our UN partners, particularly Unrwa.”
READ MORE
The funding also includes €2 million to support the work of the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies.
This funding is an increase in the total that was provided in 2025, when €36 million was provided.
Since January 2023, Ireland has sent €144 million in funding to support the people of Palestine.
Ms McEntee arrived in Egypt on Monday and on Wednesday will visit Jordan, where she will take part in a series of political engagements as well as seeing the work of partner organisations working with Palestinian and Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan.
“Ireland’s support for Unrwa remains unwavering and this announcement is a demonstration of our support for the UN system at a challenging time,” she said.
“In the face of enormous outside pressure, Unrwa continues to provide a lifeline to Palestinians not just in Gaza and the West Bank but across the region. Unrwa must be central to any effort to respond to the urgent needs of the Palestinian people.”
Ms McEntee reiterated her condemnation of Israel’s legislation to cut water, electricity and communications to Unrwa facilities, saying “Unrwa’s operations must be facilitated in line with the findings of the International Court of Justice”.
Israel says the rules, which passed the Israeli parliament in late December, are aimed at preventing Hamas and other militant groups from infiltrating aid organisations.
However, UN secretary general António Guterres described the move as “inconsistent with the status and international legal framework applicable to Unrwa” and called for it to be “immediately repealed”.
