Occupied Jerusalem, ActionAid International stressed that the decision taken by some countries to suspend funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) constitutes a death sentence for millions of Palestinian refugees.
Wafa News Agency quoted the organization as saying in a statement on Tuesday that this reckless decision will exacerbate the current catastrophic humanitarian crisis suffered by millions of Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and will lead to regional consequences for refugees in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.
‘We vehemently denounce the callous choice to punish an entire population by some of the very nations that previously called for increased aid and protection for humanitarians in Gaza. The withdrawal of funding by these donor countries is nothing short of a death sentence for approximately two million civilians, with over half of them being children who depend on UNRWA aid in Gaza to survive,’ ActionAid said.
This decision will
strip away life-saving assistance at a time when civilians face the grim reality of starvation, impending famine, and the spread of diseases exacerbated by Israel’s relentless bombardment, the organization said.
More than 152 UNRWA employees have been killed and more than 141 UNRWA facilities lying in rubble or irreparably damaged by the ongoing Israeli occupation bombardment, the organization noted.
The organization called on the donor countries to reverse their decision, stop collective punishment of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the region, fulfill their commitments towards the Palestinian people, and increase their humanitarian aid immediately.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency
