UNRWA faces impending halt to operations in Gaza due to funding crisis: Official

By Selen Valente Rasquinho

BRUSSELS (AA) - The European representative of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) issued a stark warning Tuesday about its operations in Gaza, saying that unless funding decisions are reversed, it will be forced to halt its activities in a matter of weeks.

Marta Lorenzo, director of the UNRWA Representative Office for Europe, made the announcement while taking part in a panel jointly organized by the Foreign Affairs and Development Committees of the European Parliament.

Highlighting the dire situation in the city Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Lorenzo emphasized that the suspension of funding from certain countries has left UNRWA on the brink of closure in Gaza.

"Rafah is now hosting a population six times larger than before the war, and the conditions there are beyond description," she said.

Drawing attention to the plight of Gazans grappling with hunger and disease while being trapped in the south, Lorenzo underscored the urgent need for effective humanitarian assistance, citing a recent decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the Netherlands calling for immediate action.

However, she lamented that UNRWA only has a few weeks remaining before it is compelled to cease operations.

Lorenzo also shed light on the challenges faced by UNRWA staff, citing instances where convoys in the north were targeted, resulting in casualties among employees. Despite these risks, UNRWA has endeavored to deliver aid to affected areas, albeit under perilous circumstances.

The halting of UNRWA’s operations, she warned, would not only exacerbate the humanitarian suffering.

"Our convoys in the north were hit in three different places. We were able to deliver aid to the north as of Jan. 23 (but) 156 of our employees lost their lives (while) 13,000 of our employees work under the risk of death every day," she said.

Lorenzo emphasized that if UNRWA stops its activities, it will not only have humanitarian consequences, but will also be perceived as "the withdrawal of international support for a fair and peaceful resolution of the conflict" in the region.

She also pointed out that no evidence supporting the claims of Israeli officials has been shared with UNRWA.

"If we stop our operations, we will see more instability in the region, even in Europe," Lorenzo said, concluding her speech to applause from the members of parliament.