GOP vows billions to 'Israel', goes after UNRWA's funds

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + News websites
12 Nov 2023 13:29
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US President Joe Biden has reportedly requested $9 billion for urgent global humanitarian aid, including replenishing UNRWA's supplies, which is at risk of falling out of a bipartisan Senate deal.

Families, including children, are forcibly displaced after an Israeli airstrike in the south destroyed a doctor's house, wiping out the entire family on October 15 (AFP)

Leading Republican lawmakers are pushing to deny new funding for the largest humanitarian relief operation in Gaza, provided by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). They allege ties between the organization and Hamas, despite UNRWA's plea for assistance amid the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza.

US President Joe Biden has reportedly requested $9 billion for urgent global humanitarian aid, including replenishing UNRWA's supplies, but this faces rejection in a bipartisan Senate deal. Some Republicans claim Hamas used UNRWA aid in an attack, an accusation denied by both aid groups and the White House. The political fight may impact the US response to the war and hinder humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

“I have grave concerns about how we’ve been expending humanitarian aid in Gaza,” said Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who said he would vote against any efforts to give more money to UNRWA.

“I don’t see a need for it right now, as long as the war is going on,” he said.

No evidence links UNRWA to Hamas: WH

The White House has stated that there are no known instances of US aid for UNRWA being diverted to Hamas or any other group in Gaza or the West Bank in recent years.

It is worth noting that the US government is considered the largest donor to UNRWA, providing over $371 million this year and more than $1 billion since 2021.

The Trump administration suspended funding in 2018, but Biden reinstated it shortly after taking office. UNRWA is currently seeking additional support and is said to play a crucial role in providing humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

'Taking food out of the mouths of refugee children'

The organization is facing challenges in the ongoing Israeli aggression, with over 100 of its staff members reportedly killed since Israeli airstrikes began last month. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has urged global leaders to contribute $481 million to address urgent humanitarian needs.

"For UNRWA not to be able to function in Gaza would be devastating under normal circumstances, but to do so now would be exponentially worse. There are no words to describe how horrible it would be,” said Yousef Munayyer, former executive director of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, as quoted by The Washington Post.

“This is just nut-job stuff from Republicans that is absolutely not true and cruel. You want to take food out of the mouths of refugee children? What is wrong with you?”, he added.

'A second Nakba'

If UNRWA is excluded as a means of delivering aid, the method of providing Gaza with assistance becomes uncertain. Due to constant Israeli aggressions and total blockades, UNRWA has been responsible for ensuring that aid entering Gaza through the Rafah Crossing with Egypt is delivered to its intended destinations, handling shipping and storage in UNRWA warehouses.

Even before the current aggression on Gaza, the organization transported food for 1.2 million forcibly displaced Palestinians in Gaza, importing 60% of the territory's food and providing education for over 330,000 children.

With about two-thirds of Gaza's population being refugees or their descendants, fears are heightened that the ongoing war could result in permanent displacement, referred to by Palestinians as a "second Nakba".

'Israel' bombs UN school-turned shelter

Concurrently, the United Nations reported that a significant number of displaced Palestinians were killed and injured in strikes on a UN facility in Gaza City, where hundreds of Palestinians sought refuge from the Israeli aggression.

The Israeli shelling is condemned as unacceptable, emphasizing the need to end the tragedy of civilian casualties. Additionally, AFPTV footage showed damage to a UNRWA school compound in Beit Lahia, north Gaza, where thousands of displaced Gazans had sought shelter.

"The ongoing tragedy of death and injury to civilians ensnared in this conflict is unacceptable and must stop," the United Nations Development Programme said in a statement issued late Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that over 11,000 people mainly women and children have been killed so far due to the brutal Israeli aggression. It is worth noting that the Ministry has not updated casualty figures in 48 hours, citing difficulties in establishing contact with hospitals due to the communications blackout. The situation is dire, with bodies scattered on the streets and ambulances unable to reach casualties due to intense Israeli bombings, the Ministry added.