Thomas White, the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza and UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, expressed concern about the ability of Gazans to survive the crisis without UNRWA. He mentioned receiving reports of people in the region resorting to grinding bird feed in order to produce flour.
Referring to the pressing needs of more than two million individuals in the enclave who rely on UNRWA for their basic survival, the speaker cautioned that the already dire humanitarian crisis could worsen due to the recent decision by 16 donor countries to reduce funding for the agency.
Terror link accusation
Following accusations of UNRWA employees collaborating with Hamas during the terrorist attacks on southern Israel on October 7th, which resulted in over 1,200 fatalities and 250 individuals being held captive, development has occurred.
The top inquiry organization of the United Nations is currently investigating the accusations at the behest of UNRWA, which is a crucial player in Gaza as the biggest humanitarian group in the area. Out of its 13,000 employees, over 3,000 are still employed.
After UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini declared that employees accused of wrongdoing would be fired immediately and that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services in New York would be involved, several donor countries halted their funding of $440 million.
Guterres appeal
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged all Member States to ensure the ongoing efforts of UNRWA, the primary source of humanitarian aid in Gaza, during his speech to the Palestinian Rights Committee on Wednesday.
At the same time, there has been a constant barrage of Israeli attacks on Gaza, specifically in the town of Khan Younis. Humanitarian groups have expressed concern over the ongoing flow of people fleeing to the southern region for safety.
According to Mr. White, UNRWA has reported that tens of thousands of individuals have been compelled to escape from the bombing and fighting in Khan Younis this week, causing the number of people crowded in the Rafah governorate to exceed 1.4 million. He described Rafah as a mass of people seeking refuge from the attacks.
According to a statement from the UN agency, the majority of people are residing in temporary shelters, tents, or exposed areas and are worried about the possibility of not receiving any food or aid from UNRWA.
UNWRA has released a warning that famine could be approaching due to ongoing challenges in providing humanitarian aid in the northern region of Gaza, which has been affected by conflict since October 7.
Mr. White stated that there is ongoing collaboration with the Israeli military in order to travel to the northern region, but this has largely been refused. When authorization is granted for our convoys to enter the area, individuals eagerly flock to the trucks to obtain sustenance and often consume it immediately.
Source: news.un.org
