Why UNRWA remains crucial for Palestinians under siege

Despite recent bans and restrictions jeopardising its operations, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) remains a critical provider of aid to millions in occupied Gaza and West Bank, offering shelter, food, water, and medical care.

Since the beginning of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023, UNRWA has become an indispensable lifeline for displaced and vulnerable Palestinians facing severe malnutrition and forced displacement under Israeli blockade.

However, Israel’s parliament voted on Monday to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operating in the country within 90 days, rejecting pressure from the United States and other international stakeholders to keep the largest provider of humanitarian aid accessible to Palestinians.

The Knesset’s decision prohibits the agency from conducting “any activity” or offering services within Israel, including in occupied East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank.

In a second vote, the Knesset classified UNRWA as a terror group, effectively severing any direct engagement between the UN agency and the Israeli government.

This ban endangers nearly two million civilians who depend on the agency for survival. The ban also underscores global fears that the ban on UNRWA could worsen an already dire humanitarian situation, leaving Palestinians even more vulnerable under the Israeli blockade.

Despite conflicting international law, the Israeli-enforced bill stated that the agency “shall not establish any representation, provide any services or conduct any activities within “territory of Israel”.

This restriction conflicts with international agreements on humanitarian aid, leaving a crucial service provider hamstrung in the face of mounting humanitarian need.

Israel’s hostility toward UNRWA is not new

Over the past year, Israeli forces have reportedly conducted 464 attacks on UNRWA premises, resulting in the deaths of 233 UNRWA staff members, according to UN figures from October 2024.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials have repeatedly claimed that UNRWA workers has links to Hamas, accusations that an independent panel recently found to be unsubstantiated.

In May 2024, UNRWA released a report titled “UNRWA: Claims Versus Facts,” aimed at dispelling misinformation and reaffirming its commitment to neutrality in Gaza.

Nevertheless, the impact of these allegations has been severe. As international donors reacted to the accusations, over a dozen countries suspended nearly half a billion dollars in aid, exacerbating besieged Gaza’s shortages of food, water, and sanitation services.

Today, with Israel’s additional restrictions on UNRWA, Gaza’s only major humanitarian lifeline hangs by a thread, further imperilling an already challenging situation.

Food, Water, Shelter: UNRWA’s lifeline to Gaza

Before October 7, 2023, UNRWA was delivering food aid to over 1.2 million Palestinians in Gaza, addressing critical nutritional needs amid a worsening economic landscape.

However, since the onset of the Israeli blockade, which severely restricted aid, UNRWA has been working tirelessly to provide essential support to displaced Palestinians under dire conditions.

UNRWA now manages emergency shelters across Gaza’s southern and central regions, housing hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

However, ongoing violence has inflicted heavy damage on UNRWA facilities; over 190 of its installations, including schools and clinics, have been hit by Israeli attacks. This destruction has not only compromised safe havens but has also cost lives.

By October 20, 2023, UNRWA estimated that at least 563 IDPs sheltering in its facilities had been killed, with a further 1,790 injured.

Hunger and malnutrition for Palestinians have reached a critical point, with over 1.8 million people classified as experiencing severe food insecurity, or IPC Phase 3 and above. Of these, nearly 133,000 are facing catastrophic conditions, classed as IPC Phase 5.

Acute malnutrition rates have soared to ten times their pre-war levels, underscoring the urgency of humanitarian intervention.

Since the onset of the war, UNRWA has managed to distribute flour to 215,000 families in southern and central Gaza, reaching nearly 1.9 million people through multiple rounds of food distribution.

Alongside flour, the agency provides parcels containing rice and canned goods, estimated to meet 90 percent of daily caloric requirements for those in need.

In response to severe water shortages, UNRWA has scaled up emergency WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) activities, focusing on maintaining water wells, desalination systems, and distributing bottled water through trucking services.

Medical support continues amid the blockade, with UNRWA facilitating over 5.87 million consultations and immunising more than 193,000 children, despite new restrictions threatening these essential services.

Israel’s ban on UNRWA: More deaths, more displacement?

Israel’s ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has ignited international condemnation.

The United Nations and multiple countries have warned that the decision will severely undermine humanitarian efforts and intensify the crisis for Palestinian refugees.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described UNRWA’s role as “indispensable” and stressed that “there is no alternative” to the agency’s services.

He warned that implementing such legislation “could have devastating consequences for Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which is unacceptable.”

Guterres urged Israel to uphold its obligations under the UN Charter and international law, stating, “National legislation cannot alter those obligations.”

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini labelled the Knesset’s decision as a “dangerous precedent” that violates both the UN Charter and Israel’s legal commitments.

Sally Abi Khalil, Oxfam’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, warned that Israel and its allies are fully aware of the severe consequences of this decision, stating, "This will result in more death, more suffering, and more forced displacement of people from their besieged homeland,'” she said.

“It is impossible not to believe that this is their aim,” she added.