The United States Calls For Fundamental Changes In UNRWA Before Funding Continues

UNRWA service at the Palestinian refugee shelter. (Twitter/@UNRWA)

JAKARTA - The United States said the UN's main aid agency in Gaza needed to make changes to "recover donor confidence", before continuing to provide funds to the agency, the US Ambassador to the United Nations said.

Uncle's country has long been the main donor to the United Nations Aid and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA). However, Washington and several other countries suspended funding after Israel accused 13 UNRWA employees of being linked to the Hamas attack on October 7.

While humanitarian aid is urgently needed in Gaza, the US will continue to stop its aid until there is a "fundamental change to UNRWA to prevent this from happening again," US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.

UN Secretary-General Ant Totalio Guterres said on Wednesday he was "personally horrified" by the allegations, saying the UN acted immediately after hearing it.

In response, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said Washington appreciated the serious responses made to the allegations.

"We know the Secretary-General has promised to seek further accountability, including a 'comprehensive and independent UNRWA review," he told the Security Council.

"This investigation must be fast, comprehensive, and credible," he said.

As previously reported, the suspension of funding by a number of donor countries has made UNRWA threatened not being able to continue its operations in Gaza after the end of this month.

"If funding is not continued, UNRWA will not be able to continue its services and operations across the region, including in Gaza, after the end of February," a spokesman for the agency said.

UNRWA Communications Director totaling Touma said in an interview with the BBC that his staff's involvement with the Hamas group's attack was "very serious" and UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini had taken "extraordinary measures" by immediately firing the staff.

"We are very desperate. This happens when the humanitarian needs in Gaza are increasing," he said, adding that he himself visited the region last week.

"People continue to evacuate. People are starving. Time continues to move quickly towards hunger," he said.

The President of the Palestinian Authority (PA) has asked countries that have suspended funding for the United Nations aid agency in Gaza to reconsider its decision.

"Such a position, if maintained, will punish millions of our people disproportionately for no apparent reason," PA President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement on Sunday according to WAFA.