Defunding UNRWA ‘collective punishment’ for 2 million Gazans, says chief

The head of the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA has said that certain Western countries' decision to defund the UN body is a “collective punishment” that will cut the “lifeline” 2 million people in Gaza depend on.

UNRWA lifesaving assistance is about to end, Philippe Lazzarini wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter On Sunday.

“Our humanitarian operation, on which 2 million people depend as a lifeline in Gaza, is collapsing. I am shocked such decisions are taken based on alleged behavior of a few individuals and as the war continues, needs are deepening and famine looms,” he wrote.

“Palestinians in Gaza did not need this additional collective punishment. This stains all of us,” he added.

UNRWA announced on Friday that it had opened an investigation after Israel alleged that some of its employees were involved in the Hamas Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on October 7.

“To protect the Agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, I have taken the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and launch an investigation in order to establish the truth without delay,” Lazzarini said in a statement on Friday.

However, this prompted the US to announce on Friday that it was halting funding to UNRWA because of the Israeli allegations against the agency’s 12 employees.

Canada and Australia followed suit and announced a similar funding pause to UNRWA which is a critical source of support for people in Gaza.

Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, and Finland on Saturday joined the United States in pausing funding to the aid agency.

Ireland and Norway, however, expressed continued support for UNRWA, saying the agency does crucial work to help Palestinians displaced and in desperate need of assistance in Gaza.

MG