The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, has announced that while most donors have resumed their contributions and new ones have come forward, the agency still anticipates a funding shortfall of up to $140 million by the end of the year, as reported by the Times of Israel.
Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of UNRWA, mentioned that an independent review of the agency's operations has helped restore donor confidence. This has expanded the agency’s donor base to include Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, and Oman, along with individual donations from Singapore.
Speaking at the UN office in Geneva, Lazzarini emphasized the growing challenges in delivering aid. He noted that the crossings into Gaza are insufficient to meet needs and that there have been frequent incidents of delivery truck looting.
Earlier this year, allegations by Israel that a dozen UNRWA staff members were involved in the October 7 attacks led to the suspension of funding by the United States and more than a dozen other countries. All but the US and Britain have since resumed their contributions.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed a former French foreign minister to lead a team that reviewed UNRWA's neutrality, with the findings of an internal investigation still pending.
Just this week, victims of Hamas' massacre sued UNRWA for aiding and abetting Hamas. According to the New York Times, the lawsuit alleges that Hamas skimmed the gigantic amount of $1 Billion in US aid for weapons and tunnels.
As internal investigations continue and legal battles unfold, the future of UNRWA's operations will depend heavily on the international community's commitment to supporting Palestinian refugees amid ongoing political and humanitarian complexities.As internal investigations continue and legal battles unfold, the future of UNRWA's operations will depend heavily on the international community's commitment to supporting Palestinian refugees amid ongoing political and humanitarian complexities.
As internal investigations continue and legal battles unfold, the future of UNRWA's operations will depend heavily on the international community's commitment to supporting Palestinian refugees amid ongoing political and humanitarian complexities.
As internal investigations continue and legal battles unfold, the future of UNRWA's operations in the Gaza strip may soon be forced to their end.