Officials with the main United Nations relief agency in Gaza say they are unsure whether its staff will be able to deliver food to starving Palestinians after its funds were frozen.
Countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia in January paused funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) after Israel accused its staff members of taking part in the October 7 attack by Hamas militants.
Speaking on Tuesday from Rafah in Egypt, UNRWA senior deputy director Scott Anderson said UN staff remained dedicated and were still feeding 1.1 million people and vaccinating 80% of the children in Gaza.
"Despite the fact that we have lost 162 of our colleagues in this conflict, our staff are very resilient," Anderson said.
The situation is deteriorating across Gaza and people required food, water, medicine, tents, blankets and hope, "especially as we approach the holy month of Ramadan, which is very significant for everyone in Gaza,” he said. Ramadan starts in less than a week.
More background: Speaking Monday during the UN General Assembly meeting, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said 16 countries had paused their funding for the agency, totaling $450 million, despite "the unsubstantiated nature of the allegations."
“UNRWA has no capacity to absorb financial shocks, especially while a war rages in Gaza,” he said, noting that with funding from member states and donors, UNRWA operations can continue and “remain a lifeline” for Palestinian refugees across the region. However, he cautioned that without additional funding, UNRWA will be in “unchartered territory, with serious implications for global peace and security.”
