The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, warned that schools in the Gaza Strip were in danger of closing and that the school system was liable to collapse next month if no budget source were found to cover its deficits. Its spokesperson in the Hamas-run enclave, Adnan Abu Hasna, said that because of the cuts in American aid money, it would only be possible to pay for the expenses of the UNRWA-run schools in the Palestinian enclave for one month and that the budget would be used up by the end of next month. He also warned that the collapse of the school system was liable to cause a social disaster and to undermine security and stability in the Gaza Strip – pointing to the fact that 80% of the schools in Gaza belong to UNRWA.
