United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the critical role played by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in providing essential aid in Gaza, despite recent reports exposing alarming connections between 10 percent of UNRWA’s Gaza employees and terrorist organizations, with 12 staffers directly implicated in the October 7 massacre.
Addressing the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People on Wednesday, Guterres acknowledged meeting with donors to address concerns and outlined steps being taken to rectify the situation.
UN Urges Continued US Support for Gaza Aid Agency Revealed to Be Linked with Hamas (Credits: Bloomberg)
He stressed the importance of sustaining UNRWA’s crucial humanitarian efforts to meet the urgent needs of civilians in Gaza, as well as ensuring the continuity of services to Palestine refugees in the occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
Highlighting UNRWA as the linchpin of all humanitarian responses in Gaza, Guterres appealed to member states to guarantee the ongoing delivery of UNRWA’s life-saving work. Despite losing funding from various governments, including the United States, following revelations provided by Israel to the Biden administration, Guterres urged continued support for the agency’s vital mission.
In a noteworthy development, Democrats in Washington DC called for the reinstatement of funding to UNRWA during their state assembly on Sunday.
Their appeal also included calls for a ceasefire and condemnation of Israel’s perceived “disproportionate response” to the October 7 attack. The complex situation underscores the challenges faced in balancing humanitarian aid with addressing security concerns in the region.
