‘United Nations Relief And Works Agency For Palestine Refugees’ May Shut Down In February If Funding Doesn’t Resume

The UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees stated Thursday that international funding shortages may force it to shut down its activities in the region by the end of February.

Several major UNRWA donors have said that they would suspend financing after Israel alleges that 12 agency employees were involved in Hamas’s October 7 attack.

Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA chief, noted, “If the funding remains suspended, we will most likely be forced to shut down our operations by the end of February not only in Gaza but also across the region”.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi stated after meeting with Lazzarini, “He emphasized the immediate need for the international community to support UNRWA, which plays an indispensable role for Palestinian refugees, serving as a lifeline for over two million Palestinians facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza”.

According to the foreign ministry statement in Amman, both Safadi and Lazzarini urged countries who had discontinued aid to UNRWA to reconsider their decision.

“Any reduction in financial support provided to the agency will exacerbate the suffering of the people of Gaza, who are already on the brink of mass starvation”, the statement reads.

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