UNRWA USA Joins a National Coalition of 50+ Organizations Urging President Biden to Restore Humanitarian Funding to UNRWA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MEDIA CONTACT:
Laila Mokhiber
Director of Communications
laila@unrwausa.org
(202) 223-3767 

WASHINGTON DC -- Today, a national coalition of over 50 non-governmental organizations sent a letter to President Biden urging the restoration of humanitarian funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). UNRWA USA National Committee (UNRWA USA) joined the coalition, led by our partners at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL).

The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic, with the entire population facing food insecurity and over 500,000 facing famine-level starvation. UNRWA is the primary international organization able to provide aid on the scale needed. As the White House spokesman put it on January 26th, “they [UNRWA] have helped save literally thousands of lives in Gaza. They do important work.” UNRWA has some 33,000 staff members including 13,000 staff members in Gaza, who have been doing extraordinary work under devastating conditions, with over 150 of them paying for this work with their lives.

The coalition urges that “continuing to suspend assistance to UNRWA for the alleged actions of individuals that UNRWA itself condemns and has pledged to help investigate is not only unjust, but detrimental to your administration’s goal of ending the current humanitarian crisis. Denying resources to UNRWA will only deepen the deprivation faced by civilians in Gaza, helping to spread rather than fight starvation and disease.

UNRWA USA reiterates that we will continue our tireless efforts to help Palestine refugees in desperate need in Gaza. The need for international aid is more urgent than ever, and UNRWA has a critical role to play in providing it. Rather than pulling back on aid to UNRWA, redoubling aid efforts, to ensure UNRWA can continue and increase its vital humanitarian support in Gaza, is more urgent than ever.

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UNRWA USA National Committee (UNRWA USA) is an independent nonprofit organization that provides support for the humanitarian work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). UNRWA USA lifts up the voices, experiences, and humanity of Palestine refugees to secure American support for resources essential to every human being, for the promise of a better life. US taxpayers are eligible for tax deductions for donations made through UNRWA USA.