The UNRWA, the largest UN organization in the region, is currently working under extremely challenging conditions to deliver life-saving assistance to the 2 million people in the Gaza Strip who depend on it for their survival amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

For it to lose funding at such a crucial period can easily impale its activities and bring its efforts to nought.

Sadly, such is the UN agency’s reality as Israel has levelled allegations against it. Israel says 12 of UNRWA’s thousands of employees participated in Hamas’ October 7 attack.

As a result, the UN agency’s donations have been suspended by many Western governments that are major contributors.

Rights advocates and the UN have warned defunding UNRWA will worsen the humanitarian crisis for millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and across the region.

An investigation is currently underway by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) into allegations of the involvement of 12 UNRWA personnel in the 7 October attacks.

The UN, set on making things right, has also established a review group that will look more systematically at UNRWA and what it does to ensure neutrality among its employees.

The group, set up by the United Nations Secretary-General, was actually requested by UNRWA Chief, Philippe Lazzarini over a month ago, before the accusations were made against UNRWA staff.

This independent external review will take place in parallel with the OIOS investigation.

The Review Group will begin its work on February 14, 2024 and it is expected to submit an interim report to the Secretary-General by late March 2024, with a final report expected to be completed by late April 2024.

The final report will be made public. This shows how concerned the UN is, and how much it wants to get UNRWA back on track so that it can serve the needs of the people in Gaza.

Nonetheless, the cooperation of the Israeli authorities, who made the allegations against UNRWA, will be critical to the success of the OIOS investigation.

As Israel’s war on Gaza enters its fifth month, the UN’s humanitarian aid chief, Martin Griffiths issued “five facts you need to know” about the situation in the war-torn Palestinian territory, highlighting the deplorable situation in Gaza.

Griffiths revealed that the population of southern Gaza’s Rafah has “increased five-fold” and families – trying to escape the fighting – are packed into shelters and sleeping in the open.

He noted that the situation in Gaza is a “disaster in the making” for public and mental health, adding that conditions are so bad that “humanitarian aid alone is not enough.”

Griffiths also warned that indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas and depriving Gaza’s population of the essentials for survival “may amount to war crimes.”

“The conflict is a wildfire that threatens to consume the West Bank, Lebanon and the wider region,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Seeks Alternatives For Transferring Gaza Aid

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu asked military officials to propose alternatives to the UN refugee agency for Palestinians for transferring aid to Gaza.

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, quoting senior officials, disclosed that Netanyahu wanted proposals from Chief of Staff Major-General Herzi Halevi and the military by the end of the week.

This came as Jordanian and Dutch air forces carried out another Gaza aid airdrop.

Dutch Foreign Minister, Geoffrey van Leeuwen shared a video of a plane dropping humanitarian and medical supplies over Gaza, as part of a joint mission between Jordan and the Netherlands.

This is the second joint airdrop from the two countries this week destined for the Jordan Field Hospital in the besieged coastal enclave.

“Meanwhile, we continue to work towards getting more humanitarian aid into Gaza,” van Leeuwen said.