WASHINGTON — On Sunday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres
urged donor states to ‘guarantee the continuity’ of UNRWA, following the
suspension of funding by key donor countries such as the US, Australia, Italy,
Canada, Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Britain, as per
Quds Press. These countries suspended their funding due to allegations by
Israel that employees of the agency may have been involved in the events of
October 7, 2023.
اضافة اعلان
In response, UNRWA fired several of its employees in light
of the Israeli accusations and pledged to conduct a comprehensive
investigation. However, Israel affirmed that it would seek to prevent the work
of the UN agency in the Gaza Strip after the end of the war.
Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA,
emphasized that over two million people in Gaza depend on the agency for their
survival. He described UNRWA as the primary humanitarian agency in the strip,
managing shelters for over a million people and providing them with food and
primary health care even during the peak of Israeli attacks.
Lazzarini expressed concern over the decisions to suspend
funding, describing them as threatening the continuous work of the humanitarian
agency across the region, particularly in Gaza. He urged these countries to
reconsider their decisions before UNRWA is forced to suspend its humanitarian
response, emphasizing that the lives of people in Gaza depend on this support
for both their survival and regional stability.
He stressed the importance of cooperation with international
partners, especially UNRWA, as the largest humanitarian actor in Gaza, to
implement what the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered. Lazzarini
noted that nearly 3,000 essential staff out of 13,000 in the strip continue to
report to work, providing their communities with a lifeline that could collapse
at any moment due to funding shortages.
Moreover, Luis Miguel Bueno, the EU’s Arabic Spokesperson
for the Middle East and North Africa, stated that the EU awaits a full and
comprehensive investigation into the allegations.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Expatriates condemned the decision by several countries to suspend funding to
UNRWA, considering it as collective punishment for millions of Palestinians.
The ministry stated that these decisions reflect double standards, as these
countries suspend funding to the agency while continuing to support and assist
Israel.
War impact on the
humanitarian agency
Notably, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since
the start of Israel’s war on the strip reached 152, including a million
displaced persons living in or near emergency shelters or unofficial shelters.
Up to 1.9 million displaced persons reside either in 154 UNRWA-run shelters or
near these shelters, Al-Mamalak TV reported.
UNRWA reported 253 attacks affecting its buildings and the
individuals inside them since the start of the Israeli aggression, including at
least 25 incidents of military use by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) or
interference with UNRWA facilities. In addition, 70 UNRWA facilities were
directly damaged, and 71 different agency facilities suffered partial damage.
UNRWA also estimated that at least 357 displaced individuals
seeking refuge in its shelters were killed, and at least 1,255 others were
injured.
As of January 22, only four out of 22 UNRWA health centers
in Gaza ‘remain operational,’ following the shutdown of two health centers in
Khan Younis due to the ongoing Israeli attacks on the southern city.
Furthermore, UNRWA received vaccines from UNICEF for its
health centers, with eleven different types of vaccines, allowing for the
resumption of vaccinations.
According to UNRWA, Hepatitis A outbreaks are spreading
through unofficial camps due to overcrowding, lack of clean water, and proper
sanitation, with suspected cases nearly 16 times higher in January compared to
November 2023.
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