Aid to UNWRA Discontinued by Major Donors
Alice Delhaye | 8 February 2024
Summary
Israel has accused UNRWA staff of being involved in the Hamas attacks of October 7th, 2023.
Following these allegations, 16 states have interrupted their financial contributions to this UN agency, which will have important consequences for its ability to continue its operations.
The UN Relief Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is the UN agency mandated to protect Palestinian Refugees. Created in 1949 and based in Amman, Jordan, the UNRWA helps Palestinian refugees meet their basic human needs of food, shelter and environmental health. 89.2% of its funding is comprised of financial contributions from UN member states, with the United States being the top government donor in 2022.
However, following Israel’s allegation that 12 UNRWA staff participated in the 7th October 2023 attacks, 16 states have stopped funding, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. This constitutes the largest financial crisis the UNRWA has ever faced. Indeed, a UNRWA spokesperson has indicated that all the agency’s operations in the Middle East are likely to be shut down over the course of the month due to a lack of funds.
The agency is responsible for providing healthcare services to the majority of Palestinian refugees in Gaza but also for the delivery of flour to make bread and fuel for desalination plants amid the famine. Thus, the ceasing of the UNRWA’s operations would entail serious consequences for the general sanitary and health conditions of Palestinian refugees. Furthermore, UNRWA activities include the protection of Palestinians under international law. In the context of the conflict with Israel, the lack of UNRWA funds jeopardizes this mandate and is likely to put Palestinian refugees at increased risk.
WAFA/Wikimedia
Forecast
Short-term: Highly probable that other states may bandwagon around the US and discontinue their funding.
Medium-term: Almost certain that the UNRWA will be obligated to shut down its operations over the course of February 2024.
Long-term: The lack of healthcare services and famine mitigation amid the conflict with Israel will lead to a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
