Read the letter and see the list of the 103 signatories HERE
(Washington, DC) – In a new letter sent today, more than 100 organizations call for “Congress to urgently introduce and pass legislation and for the President to support reinstating funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).” The organizations write that, “[f]ailing to do so would be a moral stain on this Administration and Congress’s legacy.” As the letter details, “the situation in Gaza is extraordinarily dire, and the need to ensure civilian protection and humanitarian relief is crucial … Cutting off funding to UNRWA completely erodes the international community’s ability to respond to one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time.”
Sent to President Biden, Speaker Johnson, and Majority Leader Schumer, the letter and list of signatories are available in full HERE.
“By prohibiting funding to UNRWA, Congress has cemented the United States’ complicity in a humanitarian catastrophe which threatens millions of Palestinian lives,” said Abed Ayoub, National Executive Director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). “It is an extension of a failed foreign policy that does not reflect the will of a majority of Americans. Exposing a Palestinian people facing genocide to the risk of losing what little humanitarian aid they are able to receive is inexcusable.”
“The world is watching and will not soon forget the callousness of the United States’ refusal to fund UNRWA’s crucial aid for Palestinians during this catastrophic and deadly conflict,” said Yumna Rizvi, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Victims of Torture. “As the U.S. fails to act, children and families are being displaced in shocking numbers, and generations are experiencing the trauma of bombs, death, displacement, starvation and lack of medical care while trying to survive ongoing destruction. This is a moral failure.”
“With famine now stalking Palestinian families in Gaza, their fate hinges on the rapid infusion of massive amounts of humanitarian aid, a life-saving mission that UNRWA – and only UNRWA – is capable of carrying out,” said George Devendorf, Senior Director of External Relations at Church World Service. “For the sake of millions of Palestinians living in Gaza and across the region, we urge the U.S. government to do what’s right: resume funding immediately and help UNRWA save lives.”
“Cutting off life-saving funding to UNRWA at a time when millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza are being bombarded, displaced, and starved is unconscionable,” said Sharif Aly, President of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). “This impulsive and hyperbolic response by the United States amounts to collective punishment of Palestinians. Without U.S. funding for UNRWA, the deprivation of food, medicine, and shelter to Palestinians will only lead to more misery and death: Congress and the Administration must reverse course immediately.”
“The rapid onset of famine and its consequences for the civilian population should mark an inflection point for the Biden Administration and members of Congress on Gaza,” said Jesse Marks, Senior Advocate for the Middle East at Refugees International. “Stopping famine through a massive humanitarian aid effort must be the top immediate U.S. policy objective in Gaza alongside securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages. For this effort to be successful, it will require support for UNRWA and must come with a viable pathway for the restoration of U.S. funding for UNRWA.”
Key portions of the letter are excerpted below:
“We, the undersigned 103 immigrant, refugee, human rights and humanitarian organizations, write to express our alarm and deep disappointment following Congress’s decision to reinforce and codify the Biden Administration’s suspension of U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the principal aid provider for millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and in the surrounding region. Suspending funding during a humanitarian catastrophe, widespread starvation and looming famine is a moral and strategic failure that abandons nearly two million displaced Palestinians during a period of extreme need. We call on Congress to urgently introduce and pass legislation and for the President to support reinstating funding to UNRWA.
For over six decades, the United States has been one of the strongest supporters of UNRWA, including its largest bilateral donor. Without U.S. support, UNRWA cannot effectively carry out its role as the largest humanitarian agency in the region. Currently, UNRWA is working to provide life-saving assistance to Palestinians in Gaza who are facing extreme malnutrition, starvation, and an outbreak of deadly diseases due to Israel’s ongoing bombing campaign and deprivation of aid. To date, over 33,000 Palestinians have been killed and tens of thousands more injured without access to functioning hospitals or appropriate medical care. The situation in Gaza is extraordinarily dire, and the need to ensure civilian protection and humanitarian relief is crucial.
Cutting off funding to UNRWA completely erodes the international community’s ability to respond to one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time. International NGOs and other UN organizations have repeatedly stated that they do not have the personnel, resources, or infrastructure to respond to the humanitarian needs in Gaza appropriately. Continuing UNRWA operations is imperative to address and alleviate the ongoing crisis. There is no debate that UNRWA’s ability to provide services, including food, water, medical assistance, and protection, is irreplaceable and essential to the survival of Palestinians in Gaza, especially now as famine is imminent.
Furthermore, prohibiting funding to UNRWA not only affects Palestinians in Gaza, but also harms over three million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria who depend on its services for education, financial assistance, access to healthcare, and more. Palestinian refugees are excluded from receiving any protection or other assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which is mandated to provide aid to all other refugees globally. Thus, UNRWA is the primary entity serving this population and has effectively been doing so since its establishment over 75 years ago. UNRWA’s unique experience, knowledge, and expertise within the region and with the Palestinian refugee population is indispensable.
…The United States should uphold its commitment to the human rights of the Palestinian people and resume its role as a strong supporter of UNRWA by passing legislation to reinstate funding to the humanitarian agency immediately. Failing to do so would be a moral stain on this Administration and Congress’s legacy.”
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