Israel will no longer approve UNRWA food convoys to the northern Gaza Strip, Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, informed.
“As of today, UNRWA, the main lifeline for Palestine refugees, is denied from providing lifesaving assistance to northern Gaza,” he wrote in a post on X.
He called the decision “outrageous”, saying it was made to intentionally attempt to obstruct lifesaving aid deliveries during a man-made famine.
Lazzarini underlined the need to lift this restriction, adding that UNRWA is the largest organisation with the highest ability to reach displaced communities in Gaza.
“By preventing UNRWA to fulfill its mandate in Gaza, the clock will tick faster towards famine & many more will die of hunger, dehydration + lack of shelter,” he warned. “This cannot happen, it would only stain our collective humanity.”
Freezing US funding to UNRWA will negatively affect Palestinians in Gaza: Lazzarini
Lazzarini has said that freezing US funding to the agency until March 2025 will negatively affect the Palestinians in Gaza Strip.
“The US foreign aid spending bill for 2024 limits funding to @UNRWA until March 2025. This decision will have implications for Palestine Refugees in #Gaza & the region,” Lazzarini wrote on X on Sunday, March 24.
He expressed his thanks to some members of the US Congress and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken for their support for UNRWA, saying, “With donors and partners, we will continue implementing the mandate entrusted to the Agency by the UN General Assembly to protect Palestine Refugees’ rights until there is a lasting political solution.”
“In Gaza, the humanitarian community is racing against the clock to avert famine. As the backbone of the humanitarian response, any gap in funding to UNRWA will compromise access to food, shelter, primary health care & education at a time of deep trauma.”
“Palestine Refugees are counting on the international community to step up support to meet their basic needs,” he added.
The US is the primary contributor to UNRWA, donating 300-400 million dollars annually to the refugee agency.
On Saturday, March 23, US Congress passed legislation that will prohibit UNRWA funding until March 2025.
Since January 26, 18 countries including the US suspended UNRWA funding amid Israeli allegations that its employees took part in the Hamas surprise attack on October 7, 2023.
This March, Canada, Australia, EU, Denmark, Sweden and Finland have resumed funding for UNRWA, while Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia have increased their support for the relief agency
About UNRWA
UNRWA, established after the 1948 war, provides education, health, and aid services to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.
The agency’s goal is to provide support to meet the needs of refugees, improve their living conditions, and provide educational and health care opportunities. The agency relies on international funding to implement its programs.
