While besieged Palestinians in Gaza must rely on donkey carts to reach overwhelmed hospitals, donors to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) have resumed funding after a hiatus.
Taking to social media platform X, the European Union’s (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Thursday confirmed EU donors had resumed funding to the UN agency.
“All EU donors have now resumed their support to the Agency, still in critical financial situation. We have to step up our support; the needs are only growin,” he wrote.
I commend the initiative in favour of @UNRWA, an indispensable lifeline in Gaza and in the region.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) May 23, 2024
All EU donors have now resumed their support to the Agency, still in critical financial situation.
We have to step up our support; the needs are only growing. https://t.co/wOHmu3RdQx
Apartheid Israel earlier alleged 12 UNRWA members participated in Operation Al Aqsa Flood in October, prompting donors to put a plug on funding amidst a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. A subsequent review by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna rubished the claim.
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UNRWA suspends distribution
The people of Gaza have endured more than seven months of bombardment, displacement and hunger. Although funding is crucial for UNRWA’s activities in the enclave, the Agency faces other obstacles to distribution.
On Tuesday, it announced that it was forced to suspend food distribution to southern Gaza due to a lack of supplies, as well as insecurity. Border closures at Rafah and Karem Abu Salem also hindered the supply of medical supplies.
In a situation update posted to X, UNRWA wrote: “Food distributions in Rafah are currently suspended due to lack of supplies and insecurity”.
“Only 7 out of 24 UNRWA health centres are operational. In the last ten days they have not received any medical supplies due to Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossing closures/disruptions.”
As battles intensified in southern and northern Gaza on Wednesday, the agency reminded the world that 75% of Gaza’s population has forced displacement. Some have been displaced as many as five times, with little room to move.
