By Rafqa Touma

The UN agency that provides aid for Palestinian refugees has become embroiled in allegations some staff were involved in the Hamas attacks on Israel

UN officials and aid groups are urging countries to reconsider their decision to pause funding for the UN refugee agency for Palestinians, a vital source of aid in Gaza.

Eleven countries have paused funding following allegations from Israel that a dozen of UNRWA’s staff were involved in the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel.

What is UNRWA?

Mandated by the UN general assembly, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency is the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

Formed in 1949 after the creation of Israel, it supports more than 5.6 million Palestinians in the occupied territories, including Jerusalem, and refugees and their descendants in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. UNRWA describes itself as “unique in terms of its longstanding commitment to one group of refugees”.

It has a dual role that encompasses humanitarian and developmental responsibilities – in effect delivering governance-like services across dozens of refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

UNRWA has 13,000 staff in Gaza, of whom 125 health staff work in rotating shifts at health centres.

How dependent is Gaza on international aid?

Israel’s air, land and sea blockade of Gaza since 2007, and Egypt’s restrictions on access, has limited food, fuel, medical supplies and people from passing into Gaza. This has isolated the territory, making it heavily dependent on international aid organisations for basic necessities.

The UN presence in Gaza dates back decades. Since 1993, the Palestinian territories have received more than $50bn in international development and humanitarian aid – one of the largest international interventions since the second world war.

UNRWA has struggled to raise funding in recent years, an issue dramatically exacerbated by Donald Trump’s 2018 decision to cut US support. That was restored by the Biden administration, which is the agency’s biggest donor.

Various other UN organisations also operate in the occupied territories, including the Office for Works and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

What has UNRWA been doing since war erupted?

UNRWA’s focus has been converting the schools it runs in the territory into shelters, where medical workers can provide health care and counsellors and social workers provide psychological help and other services. Mobile toilets and showers have been deployed as needed and bread and canned foods have been distributed.

It says 152 of its staff members had been killed since 7 October, when Hamas launched its attack into Israel, prompting Israel to pummel Gaza with airstrikes. More than 140 UNRWA installations have been damaged since the violence began.

Even before funding to the agency was paused, the amount of aid entering Gaza was well below the daily average of about 500 trucks before the war. Additionally, in the past week, family members of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have blocked aid trucks from entering at the Kerem Shalom crossing.

The military later declared the area around the crossing a closed military zone, which would prohibit protests there.

Who has paused funding to UNRWA?

Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan and Finland joined the United States, Australia and Canada in pausing funding after UNRWA revealed an investigation had been launched into 12 members of staff who allegedly took part in the 7 October attack led by Hamas that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

The US is UNRWA’s biggest donor, providing $340m in 2022. The state department has said this funding will be paused while the US reviews the claims, originally aired by Israel.

Together, the countries that have paused funding provided about 60% of UNRWA’s budget in 2022.

How has UNRWA responded to the allegations?

Of the 12 employees who have been accused by Israel of taking part in the attacks, nine were immediately sacked, one was confirmed dead and two were still being identified, according to UN secretary general, António Guterres. He said they would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.

“The abhorrent alleged acts of these staff members must have consequences,” Guterres said. “But the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalised. The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met.”

Spokesperson Juliette Touma warned that the pause in funding meant the agency would be forced to stop its support for more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza by the end of February, while UNRWA commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini said the lifeline to Gaza could “collapse any time now”.