UK Announces Additional Support for UNRWA of £23 Million

SadaNews - The British government has announced the provision of £23 million in support for UNRWA to enable it to provide life-saving assistance to Palestinian refugees during a pledging conference held in New York.

This funding will help UNRWA to continue providing essential services to approximately 5.9 million Palestinian refugees throughout the region. It will also assist civilians in Gaza, where humanitarian needs remain severe, as families face displacement and food insecurity, with limited access to essential services. This funding will support primary health care, basic education, social services, and the provision of emergency needs for food and shelter.

The conference comes as UNRWA faces significant challenges in its work on the ground in Gaza, where 392 of its staff members have been martyred since October 2023. Ongoing steps taken by Israel, including legislation passed in 2024, are aimed at severely obstructing UNRWA's operations. In January, UNRWA's headquarters in East Jerusalem was demolished, and ongoing restrictions on the entry of humanitarian relief to respond in Gaza continue to hinder its efforts.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated: "The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. Families are in urgent need of food, shelter, clean water, and medical care – and I have witnessed personally during my visit to Jordan the crucial role UNRWA plays in providing assistance at the scale required."

She continued: "For this reason, the United Kingdom announces the provision of £23 million in support for UNRWA, alongside international partners, to help sustain this important work provided to Palestinian refugees across the region, and to civilians in Gaza."

She added: "UNRWA must be able to operate safely and effectively. We condemn the Israeli government for preventing relief agencies like UNRWA from carrying out their life-saving work. This means all crossings must be opened, and supplies must be allowed in."