09/19/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/19/2024 08:32
Amid conditions of famine, a polio outbreak, a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, and virtually no healthcare system in Gaza, both President Biden and Congress have taken actions to halt U.S. funding for the leading aid organization providing relief to those in dire need.
Thankfully, new legislation introduced today by Reps. Andre Carson (IN-7), Pramila Jayapal (WA-7), and Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), provides lawmakers a critical opportunity to right this wrong.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is considered the backbone of humanitarian operations on the ground, carrying out vital work in Gaza.
UNRWA is the backbone of humanitarian operations in Gaza. The U.S. must restore funding for agency's vital work supporting Palestinians in dire need.
The actions to halt UNRWA funding were taken following Israeli allegations that a small number of UNRWA employees partook in the October 7 Hamas attacks. While these are very serious accusations, the Israeli government has still not provided evidence to substantiate them. Meanwhile, the effect on Palestinians struggling to survive have been devastating.
What's more, UNRWA has taken concrete steps towards accountability and transparency. The agency immediately terminated the contracts of the staff and launched an independent, outside review of UNRWA's mechanisms and procedures.
All other 15 donor countries, including key U.S. allies like the U.K., France, and Germany, have resumed their funding to UNRWA, reflecting international confidence in UNRWA's commitment to its mission.
Yet still, U.S. funding for UNRWA has been suspended until at least March 2025, raising grave concerns over the implications for the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. This suspension also threatens UNRWA's ability to deliver critical services such as shelter, education, and healthcare to millions of Palestinians across the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, potentially escalating regional instability.
The UNRWA Emergency Restoration Act (HR 9649) of 2024 aims to address the escalating humanitarian crisis by:
The UNRWA Emergency Restoration Act is a vital measure to tackle the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ensure that the U.S. is not complicit in worsening conditions of famine and the spread of infectious and deadly diseases.
FCNL strongly urges Congress to pass the UNRWA Emergency Restoration Act to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to UNRWA's essential work effectively address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.