Jordan’s King Abdullah, in a discussion with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, has urged the international community to maintain support for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the wake of the agency’s funding crisis.
About a dozen Western countries, including the US, Canada, and France have suspended funding to the UN relief agency after Israel alleged some of its employees were involved in the October 7 operation carried out by the Palestinian Resistance.
During a phone call with Guterres on Monday, King Abdullah emphasized the importance of maintaining “support for UNRWA to continue providing its vital humanitarian services in accordance with its UN mandate,” according to the Jordanian royal court.
The Jordanian king also stressed “the importance of enabling UNRWA to provide relief aid to more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, who are facing catastrophic humanitarian conditions.”
Employee Contracts Terminated
He also reportedly reaffirmed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in order to allow Palestinians to return home, according to the Anadolu news agency.
UNRWA said it terminated contracts with the accused employees following the Israeli allegations.
The agency’s Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini, warned of the serious implications of sanctioning the entire population of Gaza because of the allegations against a few individuals within the organization.
“It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the Agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating their contracts and asking for a transparent independent investigation,” Lazzarini said in a statement on Saturday.
‘Clock is Ticking towards Looming Famine’ in Gaza – UNRWA Reacts to US, Western Sanctions
The Commissioner-General explained that UNRWA is the primary humanitarian agency in Gaza, “with over 2 million people depending on it for their sheer survival.”
“Many are hungry as the clock is ticking towards a looming famine,” he warned.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 26,751 Palestinians have been killed, and 65,636 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
