The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has denied rumors about its intent to gradually freeze its relief activities.

"Some social media sites have been circulating news about a secret meeting held in the aim of halting the agency's work within 8 months while coming up with an alternative solution to Palestinian refugees' problem," UNRWA in Lebanon said in a statement issued earlier this week, assuring that this information is counterfeit.

It added that the agency continues to provide its services to Palestinian refugees in the five regions of its operations according to the mandate granted to it by the United Nations General Assembly.

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5.6 million Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA across its five fields of operation. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.

UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection and microfinance.

UNRWA is confronted with an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. As a result, the UNRWA programme budget, which supports the delivery of core essential services, operates with a large shortfall.