A Saudi Arabia-funded humanitarian agency pledged on Wednesday to boost the kingdom’s donation to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) by $40 million, Reuters has reported.
The donation by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), which is dedicated to Gaza, comes as UNRWA faces a severe funding crisis after the United States, the UK and other donor states “paused” their funding following Israel’s accusations that a dozen of its 13,000 staff in Gaza took part with Hamas in its cross-border incursion on 7 October. No evidence has been produced by Israel for its allegation.
UNRWA manages shelters, and provides food and healthcare for nearly two million people in Gaza, according to its website.
A UN-backed report warned on Monday that northern Gaza faces imminent famine, even as global pressure mounts on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave with a population of 2.3 million people.
Canada, Australia and Sweden have recently restored funding to UNRWA, while several Gulf countries, in addition to Saudi Arabia, have increased their donations. That may still not be enough, however.
“The US is our largest donor so no amount of compensation by other donors, as generous as they are, can actually fill the gap that is left by the US,” said UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Al-Rifai.
Saudi Arabia announced a $2 million contribution to UNRWA in October, while KSrelief provided $15 million to the agency in November.
Source: Middle East Monitor
