Israel-Hamas war: UNRWA says it can shut down by Feb end if funding doesn't resume

The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency, commonly known as the UNRWA, said on Thursday (Feb 1) that it would most likely be forced to shut down its operations by the end of Feb in the war-torn Gaza Strip and the rest of the Middle East if international funding did not resume. "The agency remains the largest aid organization in one of the most severe and complex humanitarian crises in the world," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.

"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," Lazzarini added.

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Several countries including the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, and Japan suspended funding to UNRWA, which has been at the heart of humanitarian efforts in Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war started in Oct last year. The suspension came in the wake of Israel's allegations that some UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas' Oct 7 attack.

'Urge nations to reconsider their decision'

A report by the news agency AFP on Thursday saidJordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadiheld talks withPhilippe Lazzarini and"emphasised 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."

A foreign ministry statement said that both Safadi and Lazzarini urged countries that have suspended 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 added.

UNRWA totally infiltrated with Hamas: Netanyahu

The UNRWA's SOS comes a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a meeting of UN ambassadors in Jerusalem said that the UNRWA had been "totally infiltrated" by Hamas, and added that "we need to get other UN agencies and other aid agencies replacing UNRWA."

Also watch |Israeli PM Netanyahu says UNRWA’s mission must be terminated

"I say this with great regret because we hoped that there would be an objective and constructive body to offer aid. We need such a body today in Gaza, but UNRWA is not that body," the Israeli PM further said during the meeting.

(With inputs from agencies)