On Life Support

The decision by 16 donor countries, including the United States, to halt funding for UNRWA, the largest United Nations organization aiding refugees in Gaza, comes at a critical juncture. With over 2 million people displaced and millions facing daily hunger, the situation is dire.

Recent events, such as the bombardment and fighting in Khan Younis, have forced tens of thousands to flee to the south, adding to the 1.4 million already crammed into the southern governorate of Rafah. Many are now living in makeshift structures, tents, or out in the open, with the added fear that they may no longer receive essential food and humanitarian assistance, as reported by UNRWA on the ground in Gaza.

Thomas White, Director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, expressed concern, stating that people in the area are resorting to grinding bird feed to make flour. Despite ongoing efforts to coordinate with the Israeli Army to reach the north, access has been largely denied. When convoys are permitted, people rush to the trucks for food, often consuming it immediately.

UNRWA, with its 13,000 staff, of which over 3,000 continue working, serves as the backbone of humanitarian aid operations in Gaza. In the midst of the unabated war in Gaza and a call from the International Court of Justice for increased humanitarian assistance, strengthening, not weakening, UNRWA is crucial. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini emphasized the agency's role as the largest aid organization in one of the world's most severe and complex humanitarian crises.

Lazzarini echoed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's call to resume funding for UNRWA. Without the reinstatement of funding, operations may be forced to shut down by the end of February, not only in Gaza but also across the region. UNRWA's vital assistance extends beyond Gaza to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.