The Muslim Council of Britain welcomes the statement from Foreign Secretary David Lammy that the government will finally join the majority of countries in restoring funding for UNRWA, which ceased in January, with new funds of £21 million.
UNRWA has been supporting critical aid and infrastructure work in Gaza for more than 70 years, established by the United Nations in 1949.
In the course of this war, 197 UNRWA staff have been killed by Israeli forces, and many others have been injured while trying to deliver critical aid and shelter thousands of displaced individuals in the region. The agency personnel have worked in dangerous conditions, showing courage and acting as a lifeline for those in desperate need in Gaza.
As we mark more than nine months of the ongoing Israeli siege in Gaza, with estimates of more than 38,794 Palestinians killed and predictions by The Lancet of as many as 180,000 fatalities from this conflict, the government’s decision is crucial.
This move is an important step in recognising the desperate situation on the ground and the role of the UK in supporting lasting peace efforts and immediate relief.
We continue to urge our government to work towards an immediate and permanent ceasefire, commend all efforts in this regard, and call for the suspension of arms sales to Israel to prevent further escalation of violence.
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