According to Al Jazeera, Christian Saunders, Acting Head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), stated at a UN General Assembly committee meeting that the agency is facing a $250 million budget shortfall this year and may be forced to cut staff without emergency funding. He noted that the agency needs to apply for emergency loans to keep paying staff salaries through December, adding that it continues to provide aid to approximately 1.7 million Palestinians in Gaza. The report did not state whether the loans have been approved or if layoffs have already been implemented.