The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced on Tuesday that it has sufficient funds to sustain its operations until the end of May, despite facing financial challenges due to paused funding from several donors. Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, disclosed this information in an interview with Reuters in Geneva.
Lazzarini noted that just a month ago, the agency only had visibility for the next week or two, indicating the severity of its financial situation. UNRWA has been in crisis mode since Israel accused 12 of its 13,000 Gaza-based staff of involvement in an attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, which led to heightened tensions in the region.
The allegations prompted various countries, including the United States, to halt their funding to UNRWA. However, several nations, including Canada, Australia, Finland, and Sweden, have resumed their contributions since then. Lazzarini expressed hope that more donors would follow suit and resume their support for the agency.
In addition to the funding challenges, Israel has informed the UN that it will no longer approve UNRWA food convoys to the northern Gaza region, where famine is anticipated to occur by May, as reported in a UN-backed study published recently. Moreover, Israel announced on Monday that it would cease all cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza.
Lazzarini criticized Israel’s decision to block UNRWA food convoys to northern Gaza, characterizing it as an attempt to deny essential aid to individuals facing life-threatening conditions.
