The Biden administration has reportedly granted more than $1 billion to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) before it suspended funding following allegations that some of its staffers were involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
President Joe Biden restored funding to UNRWA in 2021 after former President Donald Trump stopped funding for the UN agency in charge of relief for the Gaza Strip during his term.
"The Biden administration's decision to restore funding to UNRWA in 2021 was based on the belief that the Trump administration's suspension had adversely affected the Palestinian population," reported YourNews.
Based on the UNRWA's donor charts, the Biden administration contributed $338 million in 2021 and over $343 million in 2022. For 2023, the agency had already received $296 million from Washington by September of that year – nearing the billion-dollar mark in less than three years. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield later confirmed that this total surpassed the billion-dollar threshold by November 2023.
However, Israel's allegation that several UNRWA staffers were involved in the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas prompted the U.S. and other governments to halt all funding to the UN agency. To make matters worse, it was discovered that more than a thousand staffers at the agency have ties to Hamas – formally the Islamic Resistance Movement – and other Islamic terrorist organizations.
UNRWA now BEGGING major donors to continue funding
According to YourNews, the decision to halt funding for the UNRWA "comes despite U.S. intelligence agencies' previous warnings about the risk of funds being diverted to Hamas. While future funding is on hold, the agency can still use the existing funds previously granted."
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Now that the UNRWA has lost the support of its major benefactors, it is now making an urgent appeal for public donations. However, the agency has not specified how its operations will be affected by the funding shortfall or the extent of its financial jeopardy.
"UNRWA's response to these allegations and the impact of the funding suspension remains a critical focus for the international community and those invested in Middle Eastern affairs," YourNews stated. The agency itself appeared to do some damage control on its part, announcing the termination of several employees allegedly linked to terrorist elements on Jan. 26. (Related: United Nations agency in charge of Gaza relief to investigate claims that some of its employees took part in Oct. 7 attack.)
"Several donor countries have temporarily suspended their funding [of] UNRWA," the agency said in a Jan. 29 statement. "This comes at a time when critical humanitarian needs across the Gaza Strip are at their highest."
"The urgent needs of the communities we serve must not be overlooked. We urgently need your support to continue our vital work."
Even Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UNRWA, decried the funding pause to the agency. In a Jan. 27 statement, he described the pause as "shocking" and "irresponsible" – given that the UNRWA had already fired the staffers involved and had opened an investigation into the matter. Lazzarini ultimately urged nations that had cut funding to reconsider their decision.
"UNRWA has a well-documented history of employing antisemitic staffers or individuals linked to or directly involved with Hamas," the Daily Caller noted. "[The agency] claims it is vital to keep funding it because it serves as a vessel for humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. But the agency has a history of having aid diverted to Hamas instead."
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Watch this video about the United Kingdom suspending funding for the UNRWA.
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