DOHA: Aid groups and other UN agencies have called upon donors to continue supporting UNRWA, with the head of the World Health Organization warning that the move would be catastrophic for the people of Gaza.
The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency on Thursday said that it has to shut down its operations in the Middle East, including in Gaza, by the end of February if funding does not resume.
Many nations including the US, Germany and Britain have halted their funding to the aid agency in the wake of accusations that some UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas’ October 7 attacks in southern Israel.
A number of donor countries suspended US$ 440 million worth of funding to @UNRWA Meanwhile the war in #Gaza is going unabated.
At the time the International Court of Justice calls for more humanitarian assistance, it is the time to reinforce not to weaken #UNRWA We are the…
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) February 1, 2024
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini in a statement added that the agency remains the largest aid organization in one of the most complex humanitarian crises in the world.
He said that if the funding remains suspended, the agency will most likely be shut down its operations by end of February not only in Gaza but across the region.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 27,019 in ongoing relentless Israeli strikes since October 7, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his call to terminate UNRWA’s mandate and to replace it with other UN aid agencies.
