The humanitarian aid that the lives of more than two million people depend on in the Gaza Strip Is in danger. This has been warned by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, before the cascade of funding suspensions that it is facing as a result of the alleged connection of some of its members with the Hamas attacks against Israel on October 7, which have already been terminated.

Its general commissioner, Philippe Lazzarini, has warned in recent hours that these suspensions of funds, a decision that has so far been adopted a dozen countries -including some of his biggest donors-, threaten their humanitarian work throughout the region, but especially in the Palestinian enclave, where “more ofTwo million people depend on it for their very survival.“.

“Many are hungry as the clock ticks towards imminent famine. The Agency manages shelters for more than a million people and provides food and primary health care even at the height of hostilities,” says a releasein which it claims that UNRWA took “immediate action” in response to the accusations against some members of its staff, by terminating their contracts and announcing an investigation.

“It would be immensely irresponsible to sanction an Agency and an entire community it serves for accusations of criminal acts against some people, especially in times of war,” warns Lazzarini, who calls on countries that have suspended funding to reconsider their decision “before UNRWA is forced to suspend its humanitarian response. “The lives of the people of Gaza depend on this support and also regional stability,” he concludes.

The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has also called for the resumption of funding to UNRWA and has defended that “the UN is taking swift action following extremely serious accusations against several members of staff” of the agency. “These alleged abominable acts must have consequences,” said Guterres, who nevertheless stressed that “it is necessary to meet the humanitarian needs of the desperate populations that UNRWA serves.”

“Any UN employee involved in acts of terrorism must be held accountable,” added the head of the United Nations, who, like Lazzarini, emphasized that two million Gazan civilians “depend on critical aid from UNRWA to their daily survival” and has warned that the current financing will not allow it to “meet all the requirements to support them in February”.

Cascade of fund suspensions

The United Nations appeal comes after USAUNRWA’s largest donor, will announce on Friday the temporary suspension of funding to the agency and that, throughout the weekend, countries such as Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom, Australia, Finland, the Netherlands and Germany, the second country that contributes the most to financing this organization, have imitated him.

For his part, the Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, who has called for the resignation of the UNRWA commissioner, also announced this Saturday that Israel will pursue the definitive suspension of the agency’s activities, which he has been accusing for years of complicity with Hamas, an allegation that UNRWA has consistently rejected. “UNRWA will not be part of the ‘day after’“Katz warned this Saturday.

The cascade of funding suspensions, in any case, puts in check the aid on which thousands of people in Gaza depend, while Israel continues to bomb the south of the Palestinian enclave despite the opinion of the International Court of Justice, which on Friday urged Tel Aviv to adopt measures to prevent genocide in the Strip. The latest balance of the Gazan authorities The death toll from the Israeli offensive is estimated at 26,422 Palestinianswhile another 65,087 have been injured.