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Rabat – In a move that could exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, a coalition of Israeli lawmakers is intensifying efforts to cut much-needed global funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
The Israeli newspaper Hayom reported that the group alleges UNRWA serves as a tool for Hamas. Headed by Knesset member Sharren Haskel, the parliamentary lobby aims to challenge the flow of funds from various countries to UNRWA, claiming it seeks to “remove UNRWA’s mask”.
The agency operates as the largest aid organization in Gaza, where an estimated 1.9 million displaced Palestinians face an increasingly desperate situation marked by severe shortages of food, shelter, and medicine.
The UNRWA’s Gaza director Thomas White underlined the urgency of the situation in a December 30 post on X, formerly Twitter.
He warned that people in Gaza are “hungry and just desperate for food,” with a staggering 40% of the population at risk of famine. White emphasized the critical need for more regular and safe humanitarian access throughout the region, including the north of Gaza.
Amid this escalating crisis, photos released by Al Jazeera today showed Palestinians queuing to collect drinking water in Rafah.
The situation raises concerns about the increased risk of diseases and illnesses in a population already grappling with severe food and water shortages.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of an “imminent risk” of communicable disease outbreaks in the besieged strip.
Since mid-October, the UN health agency recorded 179,000 cases of acute respiratory infection, 136,400 cases of diarrhea among children under five, 55,400 cases of scabies and lice, and 4,600 cases of jaundice.
Read also: Gaza: 50,000 Pregnant Women and 900,000 Children Face Dire Medical Conditions
