The MCB expresses deep concern over our government’s decision to suspend funding for the United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA), at a time of dire humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
This move was echoed by several countries, including the US. This decision follows Israel’s allegations against 12 out of 13,000 UNRWA employees were connected to the October 7th attacks. After these claims, UNRWA promptly initiated an investigation.
UNRWA stands as a vital support system for over 2 million Palestinians grappling with starvation and seeking refuge from the ongoing Israeli bombardments. The decision to suspend funding drew criticism from the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres who urged reconsideration of this move to ensure continuity of the agency’s critical humanitarian operations and “the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized.”
The Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, said: “I am shocked such decisions are taken based on alleged behaviour of a few individuals and as the war continues, needs are deepening and famine looms. Palestinians in Gaza did not need this additional collective punishment. This stains all of us.”
Amidst recent findings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) indicating a plausible case of genocide by the Israeli state, the decision to defund UNRWA is alarming. The court stipulated explicitly an order which mandates the allowance of effective humanitarian assistance “to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in Gaza.”
The UK government’s response to the ICJ findings, stated they had considerable concerns of the case and found it to be ‘unhelpful.’ The UK continues to facilitate the sale of Israeli arms, adds to the worries surrounding these developments.
MCB Secretary-General, Zara Mohammed said:
“At a time when Gaza “has become a place of death and despair” and where 90 percent of Gazans are displaced with more than one in four are starving and without a single fully functional hospital in the strip, our government, along with others, has taken the drastic step of cutting vital aid funding.
While UNRWA diligently investigates the matter, the Muslim Council of Britain calls upon our government to reverse its position and prioritise the desperate humanitarian situation.”
[ENDS]