Save UNRWA!
**UPDATE: Israeli Knesset outlaws UNRWA, endangering millions of Palestinians who rely on the agency for basic services. Demand congress appply pressure to protect the essential work of UNRWA**
Congress recently approved a bill that would ban funding for UNRWA amidst a devasting man-made humanitarian crisis. Please urge your US Representatives to do whatever they can to save UNRWA and its livesaving work, for instance by co-sponsoring the "UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2024" introduced by Reps. Carson, Jayapal and Schakowsky. Restoring UNRWA funding is essential.
After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel retaliated with a genocidal campaign destroying homes, hospitals, and schools, turning Gaza into rubble and creating a vast humanitarian crisis. Famine is underway in parts of Gaza and spreading. Food, water, medicine and essential services are needed to mitigate and avert famine.
UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) is the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza, and no organization can replace it. It is also provides essential services for millions of Palestinians in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and throughout the region. But when earlier this year Israel accused 12 UNRWA employees (outof 30,000 staff) of participating in the Oct 7 attack, the U.S. cut off funding to the agency.
Now, the Knesset has banned UNRWA from operating in Israel.
6 members of Congress are co-sponsoring the UNRWA Funding Restoration Act of 2024 and have asked for more sponsors. Please write to your elected officials and ask them to become sponsors of this bill.
The website of UNRWA-USA is: https://www.unrwausa.org/
______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To restore funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2024.’’
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a catastrophic emergency level, with two million Palestinian civilians suffering daily due to escalating conflict and deprivation.
(2) The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has warned of imminent famine in northern Gaza if humanitarian assistance, including food, water, and medicine, are not immediately provided to Palestinian civilians.
(3) The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has since 1949 played a vital and central role in providing shelter, education, healthcare, and financial assistance to millions of Palestinians living in vulnerable refugee communities across Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.
(4) UNRWA’s aid operations are essential to meeting the humanitarian needs of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and beyond and cannot be replaced in the near-term by other United Nations agencies or humanitarian organizations as UNRWA performs essential governmental functions in education, health, and other communal sectors no other organization is able to immediately provide.
(5) Following allegations of direct involvement by individual UNRWA employees involvement in the shameful terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, UNRWA Commissioner-General Lazzarini acted swiftly and decisively, fully cooperating with Israeli authorities, publicly disclosing the allegations, and immediately terminating all the employees involved.
(6) UN Secretary-General Guterres has taken additional corrective steps, including launching an investigation into the allegations by the UN’s highest oversight body, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). In addition, Secretary-General Guterres, following consultations with Commissioner-General Lazzarini, commissioned an independent outside review to assess whether UNRWA is doing everything within its power to ensure the professionalism of its staff of over 30,000 and its effective response to any breaches of these basic requirements.
(8) The European Union, Canada, Australia, Finland, Germany, Japan, and Sweden have already restored funding to UNRWA following these strong actions taken by the UN and the commitments made by UNRWA toward complete accountability and reform.
(9) The nations of Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Belgium have since provided resources to UNRWA above their original commitments.
(10) UNRWA remains the primary distributor of aid in Gaza and is essential to accommodating any humanitarian aid surge to the besieged population via the United States-constructed pier on Gaza’s coast.
(11) The United States has historically been the largest funder of UNRWA and plays a pivotal role in supporting the agency’s critical mission.
(12) Properly vetted funding for UNRWA remains in the comprehensive strategic interests of the United States and its allies, Israel and Jordan.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
Congress—
(1) supports UNRWA’s unique and indispensable contribution to immediately addressing urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza;
(2) recognizes UNRWA’s efforts towards accountability and transparency and awaits the findings of the ongoing independent investigation and outside review of these serious allegations;
(3) urges the Government of Israel to assist both the United Nations OIOS investigation team and the UN’s independent outside review group in their critical work.
(4) urges the Administration to join United States allies in restoring funding to UNRWA given the responsible actions taken by the UN and the commitments made by UNRWA toward accountability and reform. Continued funding should be assessed following the conclusion of ongoing investigations and the implementation of appropriate remedial actions because preventing further erosion of civilian conditions in Gaza remains in the strategic and moral interests of the United States;
(5) urges the United States and Israel to work with UNRWA to expand upon its accountability and transparency improvement efforts; and
(6) Supports appropriating critical funds to UNRWA for Fiscal Year 2025.
SEC. 4. RESTORATION OF FUNDING FOR UNRWA.
Effective on the date of the enactment of this Act—
(1) title III of division G of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118–47) is hereby repealed;
(2) beginning 90 days after enactment of this Act, and quarterly thereafter through December 31, 2027, the Secretary of State shall report to the appropriate committee of jurisdiction on the steps UNRWA is taking to implement any recommendation made by the UN OIOS investigative team and UN independent outside review; and
(3) the Secretary of State shall as soon as practicable—
(A) rescind the temporary pause in funding for UNRWA as described in the press statement entitled ‘‘Statement on UNRWA Allegations’’ issued on January 26, 2024; and
(B) resume the provision of funding to UNRWA under current authorities of the Department of State.
Save UNRWA!
**UPDATE: Israeli Knesset outlaws UNRWA, endangering millions of Palestinians who rely on the agency for basic services. Demand congress appply pressure to protect the essential work of UNRWA**
Congress recently approved a bill that would ban funding for UNRWA amidst a devasting man-made humanitarian crisis. Please urge your US Representatives to do whatever they can to save UNRWA and its livesaving work, for instance by co-sponsoring the "UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2024" introduced by Reps. Carson, Jayapal and Schakowsky. Restoring UNRWA funding is essential.
After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel retaliated with a genocidal campaign destroying homes, hospitals, and schools, turning Gaza into rubble and creating a vast humanitarian crisis. Famine is underway in parts of Gaza and spreading. Food, water, medicine and essential services are needed to mitigate and avert famine.
UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) is the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza, and no organization can replace it. It is also provides essential services for millions of Palestinians in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and throughout the region. But when earlier this year Israel accused 12 UNRWA employees (outof 30,000 staff) of participating in the Oct 7 attack, the U.S. cut off funding to the agency.
Now, the Knesset has banned UNRWA from operating in Israel.
6 members of Congress are co-sponsoring the UNRWA Funding Restoration Act of 2024 and have asked for more sponsors. Please write to your elected officials and ask them to become sponsors of this bill.
The website of UNRWA-USA is: https://www.unrwausa.org/
______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To restore funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2024.’’
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a catastrophic emergency level, with two million Palestinian civilians suffering daily due to escalating conflict and deprivation.
(2) The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has warned of imminent famine in northern Gaza if humanitarian assistance, including food, water, and medicine, are not immediately provided to Palestinian civilians.
(3) The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has since 1949 played a vital and central role in providing shelter, education, healthcare, and financial assistance to millions of Palestinians living in vulnerable refugee communities across Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.
(4) UNRWA’s aid operations are essential to meeting the humanitarian needs of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and beyond and cannot be replaced in the near-term by other United Nations agencies or humanitarian organizations as UNRWA performs essential governmental functions in education, health, and other communal sectors no other organization is able to immediately provide.
(5) Following allegations of direct involvement by individual UNRWA employees involvement in the shameful terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, UNRWA Commissioner-General Lazzarini acted swiftly and decisively, fully cooperating with Israeli authorities, publicly disclosing the allegations, and immediately terminating all the employees involved.
(6) UN Secretary-General Guterres has taken additional corrective steps, including launching an investigation into the allegations by the UN’s highest oversight body, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). In addition, Secretary-General Guterres, following consultations with Commissioner-General Lazzarini, commissioned an independent outside review to assess whether UNRWA is doing everything within its power to ensure the professionalism of its staff of over 30,000 and its effective response to any breaches of these basic requirements.
(8) The European Union, Canada, Australia, Finland, Germany, Japan, and Sweden have already restored funding to UNRWA following these strong actions taken by the UN and the commitments made by UNRWA toward complete accountability and reform.
(9) The nations of Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Belgium have since provided resources to UNRWA above their original commitments.
(10) UNRWA remains the primary distributor of aid in Gaza and is essential to accommodating any humanitarian aid surge to the besieged population via the United States-constructed pier on Gaza’s coast.
(11) The United States has historically been the largest funder of UNRWA and plays a pivotal role in supporting the agency’s critical mission.
(12) Properly vetted funding for UNRWA remains in the comprehensive strategic interests of the United States and its allies, Israel and Jordan.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
Congress—
(1) supports UNRWA’s unique and indispensable contribution to immediately addressing urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza;
(2) recognizes UNRWA’s efforts towards accountability and transparency and awaits the findings of the ongoing independent investigation and outside review of these serious allegations;
(3) urges the Government of Israel to assist both the United Nations OIOS investigation team and the UN’s independent outside review group in their critical work.
(4) urges the Administration to join United States allies in restoring funding to UNRWA given the responsible actions taken by the UN and the commitments made by UNRWA toward accountability and reform. Continued funding should be assessed following the conclusion of ongoing investigations and the implementation of appropriate remedial actions because preventing further erosion of civilian conditions in Gaza remains in the strategic and moral interests of the United States;
(5) urges the United States and Israel to work with UNRWA to expand upon its accountability and transparency improvement efforts; and
(6) Supports appropriating critical funds to UNRWA for Fiscal Year 2025.
SEC. 4. RESTORATION OF FUNDING FOR UNRWA.
Effective on the date of the enactment of this Act—
(1) title III of division G of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118–47) is hereby repealed;
(2) beginning 90 days after enactment of this Act, and quarterly thereafter through December 31, 2027, the Secretary of State shall report to the appropriate committee of jurisdiction on the steps UNRWA is taking to implement any recommendation made by the UN OIOS investigative team and UN independent outside review; and
(3) the Secretary of State shall as soon as practicable—
(A) rescind the temporary pause in funding for UNRWA as described in the press statement entitled ‘‘Statement on UNRWA Allegations’’ issued on January 26, 2024; and
(B) resume the provision of funding to UNRWA under current authorities of the Department of State.