{"id":2164765,"date":"2024-02-01T10:46:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T15:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/unrwa-says-it-could-shut-down-after-us-pulls-funding-over-terror-links\/"},"modified":"2024-02-01T10:50:58","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T15:50:58","slug":"unrwa-says-it-could-shut-down-after-us-pulls-funding-over-terror-links","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/unrwa-says-it-could-shut-down-after-us-pulls-funding-over-terror-links\/","title":{"rendered":"UNRWA warns of possible closure due to US funding withdrawal over terror ties"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Funrwa-says-it-could-shut-down-after-us-pulls-funding-over-terror-links%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2164765&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The United Nations \u200dPalestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) Faces Shutdown Due to Funding Crisis<\/h2>\n<p>The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) \u2064has issued \u2064a dire warning that it may be forced to cease its operations in the Middle East, including Gaza, by the end of the month if funding is not resumed.\u200b This comes as several countries, including the \u200bUnited States, Germany, and \u2064Britain, \u200bhave halted their \u2063financial support to the aid agency following allegations \u2062of UNRWA staff involvement in\u2062 Hamas&#8217;s Oct. 7\u2063 attacks in \u200csouthern Israel.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;The agency remains the \u2062largest aid organization in\u2062 one of the most severe\u200c and complex humanitarian crises in the world,&#8221; emphasized UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If the funding remains suspended, we will\u200c most likely be forced to shut down our operations by the end of February, not only in Gaza but also across \u2064the region.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Israeli offensive that followed the attacks resulted in the displacement of\u2062 a significant portion of Gaza&#8217;s population, widespread destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, and acute shortages of essential resources such as food, water, and\u2063 medicine.<\/p>\n<p>For years, \u200dIsraeli authorities have called for the dismantling of UNRWA, arguing\u2063 that its mission is outdated and fuels anti-Israeli sentiment. However, UNRWA vehemently denies these claims.<\/p>\n<p>The agency has\u2063 faced long-standing \u2063accusations of promoting radicalism \u200band <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/united-nations-officials-complicit-in-hamass-atrocities-lawmaker-says\/\" title=\"Lawmaker accuses UN officials of aiding Hamas's atrocities\">aiding terrorist groups<\/a> \u200cin Gaza and the West Bank.\u2062 Reports have\u200d emerged of UNRWA teachers celebrating the Oct. 7 massacre\u200c and even holding an Israeli hostage captive in an attic.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022,\u200c the State Department found evidence of UNRWA facilities being used\u2064 to store terrorist\u2063 weaponry. Additionally, textbooks and educational materials used in UNRWA schools have consistently been found \u2063to promote anti-Semitism and advocate for the destruction of Israel.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his call \u2063to terminate UNRWA&#8217;s mandate and replace it with other U.N. or\u2064 non-U.N.\u2063 aid agencies.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>UNRWA, formally known as \u2063the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees \u200din the Near East, was established in 1949 by the U.N. General \u200dAssembly to address the needs of the 700,000 Palestinians who were displaced during the war surrounding the founding of Israel as a Jewish state. Today, it employs \u206430,000 Palestinians to serve the civic and humanitarian needs of \u200b5.9\u2064 million descendants of those refugees in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and neighboring Arab countries.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What \u200dare the \u2063potential \u2063consequences of a shutdown\u2062 of \u2063UNRWA on the lives of Palestinian refugees, and what steps should be taken to prevent this catastrophic outcome<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2062Of our time,&#8221;\u200b said UNRWA spokesperson Sami Mshasha. &#8220;If UNRWA is forced \u200cto close, it would be catastrophic \u2063for the millions of Palestinian refugees who rely \u2064on our services \u200bfor basic necessities such as food, education, and healthcare.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>UNRWA was established in 1949 following the Arab-Israeli conflict \u200dto <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/netanyahu-calls-joe-biden-my-friend-for-supporting-israeli-efforts-in-gaza\/\" title=\"Netanyahu Calls Joe Biden \u2018My Friend\u2019 For Supporting Israeli Efforts In Gaza\">provide humanitarian aid<\/a> and support to Palestinian refugees who were displaced from their homes. The\u2063 agency currently serves over\u2064 five million\u200d registered Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, \u2064Syria, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. \u200bIts services \u200dinclude \u2063education, healthcare, social services, and emergency assistance.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/catch-and-release-democratic-texas-rep-explain-why-its-so-hard-to-fix-ices-dire-funding-problem\/\" title=\"\u2018Catch And Release\u2019: Democratic Texas Rep Explain Why It\u2019s So Hard To Fix ICE\u2019s Dire Funding Problem\">funding crisis<\/a> facing UNRWA is \u2062not\u2063 new. The agency has struggled with financial difficulties for years, relying heavily on voluntary\u2064 contributions from member states. However, the\u200d recent decision by key \u2062donors to suspend or cut their funding has\u2063 exacerbated the situation. \u200bThe United States, \u2063for instance, was the largest donor to\u2062 UNRWA,\u200d contributing around $350 million annually. \u2062In 2018, \u2064the US announced it would\u200b only provide $60 \u200dmillion,\u200d and \u2064later, it\u2062 completely cut its funding, citing concerns over mismanagement and anti-Israel bias.<\/p>\n<p>Germany and Britain also reduced their financial\u200d contributions to UNRWA,\u200c expressing similar \u2062concerns and calling for reforms within the agency.\u200d As a result, UNRWA has faced a \u200bshortfall of more than $430 million in its budget for 2021, \u2062leading \u200bto a severe\u2063 funding crisis that threatens its operations.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 allegations of UNRWA \u2062staff involvement in Hamas&#8217;s attacks further\u2064 exacerbated the funding crisis. Hamas, an Islamist militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, has\u200c been designated as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-trump-sends-message-to-democrats-and-rino-republicans-thousands-pouring-into-dc-wont-stand-for-stolen-election\/\" title=\"President Trump Sends Message to Democrats and RINO Republicans: \u2018Thousands Pouring Into DC Won\u2019t Stand for Stolen Election\u2019\">terrorist organization<\/a> by several countries, including \u2063the United States and the European Union. The allegations have raised doubts about the integrity and neutrality of\u2062 UNRWA&#8217;s operations, leading to a loss of trust from its major donors.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200b consequences \u2063of a potential shutdown of UNRWA would be devastating for the \u2064Palestinian refugees who\u200c heavily rely on its services. Education \u2062for over half a\u2064 million refugee children would be disrupted, and the already struggling healthcare system\u2064 in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/20-year-old-officer-stabbed-to-death-by-palestinian-teen-in-israel\/\" title=\"20-Year-Old Officer Stabbed To Death By Palestinian Teen In Israel\">refugee\u2062 camps<\/a> \u200dwould collapse. The\u200b provision of food aid, vocational training, and social services would also cease, leaving millions of Palestinians without vital support.<\/p>\n<p>The international community must urgently step in to address UNRWA&#8217;s funding crisis \u200cand ensure the\u200c continuation of its\u200b vital services. It is\u2063 critical for donor countries to reevaluate their decisions and resume their financial\u2063 support, taking into account the impact a \u2062shutdown would have on the millions of\u2064 Palestinian refugees. It is\u200d also crucial for UNRWA to address\u2062 the\u2063 concerns\u2062 raised by its donors regarding mismanagement and neutrality,\u200d instilling confidence \u2062in its\u2062 operations.<\/p>\n<p>Long-term solutions need to be explored to address\u200b the chronic funding issues faced by UNRWA. Diversifying funding \u200bsources, engaging with new donors, and implementing necessary reforms within the agency are essential to ensure its sustainability \u200band ability to respond to the humanitarian needs of the\u2064 Palestinian \u2062refugees.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200d plight of \u2063Palestinian refugees is \u200ban ongoing tragedy that requires the collective efforts\u200b of\u2062 the international \u200dcommunity. Without the support and assistance of UNRWA, the lives of millions\u200c of Palestinians \u200cwill be further\u2062 destabilized, resulting in\u200b heightened tensions and insecurity in the already volatile \u200bMiddle East region. The United Nations, member states, and other stakeholders must work together to find a\u2063 sustainable solution that ensures the continuation of UNRWA&#8217;s crucial\u2063 work and upholds the rights and dignity of Palestinian refugees.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UNRWA warns of potential closure in the Middle East, including Gaza, by month-end if funding remains halted. Major contributors like the US, Germany, and Britain have temporarily suspended their financial support<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":2164766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/israel-agrees-ceasefire-hamas-e1677702328300.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2164765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/israel-agrees-ceasefire-hamas-e1677702328300.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2164765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2164765"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2164765\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2164766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2164765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2164765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2164765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}