UNRWA funding must be restored!
Shamefully, Congress 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 see funding restored for UNRWA, for instance by co-sponsoring the "UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act" introduced by Reps. Carson, Jayapal and Raskin. The text is below. There will be a Dear Colleague letter circulating for House members to sign on as original co-sponsors in the next two weeks. Restoring UNRWA funding is essential.
The United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA) is a hard working, respectable agency first created soon after the Nakba to meet the immediate needs of the Palestinian refugees who had been ethnically cleansed from Palestine in 1948. The organization runs refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the West Bank, and Gaza. It has three major areas of service: Education (through UNRWA schools), Health (through its clinics), and Social Services. The organization undertakes wonderful work, most of whose 30,000 employees are themselves Palestinian refugees. Today, UNRWA serves about 5.7 million Palestinian refugees. In Gaza, it is the second largest employer, with 13,000 employees, 153 of whom were killed by Israel, and the agency is housing over a million people in 154 installations in which internally displaced refugees are housed.
Israel has always had an ambivalent relationship to UNRWA. It would prefer that the agency be dissolved, that the refugees be assimilated within the surrounding countries and cease dreaming entirely about the right of return to Palestine. The theory is that if there is no UNRWA, then there would be no Palestinian refugees; there would be no right of return or even an aspiration to return. Instead, refugees would merely settle in different countries. I must say that this theory relies in many respects upon deeply bigoted tropes and assumptions, like “Palestinians do not exist” and “all Arabs are the same.” The collapse of UNRWA will not lead to Palestinian assimilation, but more likely to the prolonged suffering of a multi-generational stateless minority population within neighboring countries still living in camps.
Yet, particularly in the West Bank and Gaza, UNRWA has been providing invaluable services that would otherwise have been the duty of Israel to provide as an occupying power. There have been several instances where pro-Israeli US Congressmen, listening to the rhetoric coming out of Israel, attempted to defund UNRWA and cease US contributions to its operation. But, they were told quietly that it is in Israel’s interest for the agency to continue in its work.
The very day after the ICJ announced its decision noting the humanitarian crisis and the plausible danger of genocide, funding was pulled from UNRWA. Whether to divert attention from the interim decision of the ICJ, or as part of the right wing’s long-standing desire to destroy UNRWA, Israel announced, with little or no proof, that 12 out of the 13,000 employees of UNRWA were involved in the attacks of October 7. Even though it received no evidence of wrongdoing, UNRWA promptly suspended the 12 employees and began an independent investigation into the allegations. Recent reports are saying that the actual number of accused employees has been revised to 6, or even 4. Yet this was not enough for those who demanded UNRWA itself be punished, possibly dismantled, and prevented from continuing its humanitarian mission. Led by the US, multiple western countries--in the midst of a man-made humanitarian catastrophe--promptly announced the suspension of all contributions to UNRWA.
Coming promptly after the ICJ decision, which indicated that humanitarian aid should be immediately expanded to prevent ongoing starvation, this decision is very hard to understand, particularly since none of these countries had any proof of UNRWA wrongdoing. Even if 12 employees out of 13,000 turned out to have participated in the October 7 attacks, this does not in any way implicate UNRWA itself or justify the suspension of its vital life-saving activities. The only explanation is that these countries have chosen, on the flimsiest of excuses, to participate in an action that makes them complicit in the very genocide the ICJ is warning against. It also highlights the gap between the 1% decision makers in these countries and the wishes of the overwhelming majority of their people, many of whom have marched in the streets in massive numbers demanding a ceasefire and showing care for and solidarity with the innocent Palestinians.
UNWRA funding must be restored!
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.
UNRWA funding must be restored!
Shamefully, Congress 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 see funding restored for UNRWA, for instance by co-sponsoring the "UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act" introduced by Reps. Carson, Jayapal and Raskin. The text is below. There will be a Dear Colleague letter circulating for House members to sign on as original co-sponsors in the next two weeks. Restoring UNRWA funding is essential.
The United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA) is a hard working, respectable agency first created soon after the Nakba to meet the immediate needs of the Palestinian refugees who had been ethnically cleansed from Palestine in 1948. The organization runs refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the West Bank, and Gaza. It has three major areas of service: Education (through UNRWA schools), Health (through its clinics), and Social Services. The organization undertakes wonderful work, most of whose 30,000 employees are themselves Palestinian refugees. Today, UNRWA serves about 5.7 million Palestinian refugees. In Gaza, it is the second largest employer, with 13,000 employees, 153 of whom were killed by Israel, and the agency is housing over a million people in 154 installations in which internally displaced refugees are housed.
Israel has always had an ambivalent relationship to UNRWA. It would prefer that the agency be dissolved, that the refugees be assimilated within the surrounding countries and cease dreaming entirely about the right of return to Palestine. The theory is that if there is no UNRWA, then there would be no Palestinian refugees; there would be no right of return or even an aspiration to return. Instead, refugees would merely settle in different countries. I must say that this theory relies in many respects upon deeply bigoted tropes and assumptions, like “Palestinians do not exist” and “all Arabs are the same.” The collapse of UNRWA will not lead to Palestinian assimilation, but more likely to the prolonged suffering of a multi-generational stateless minority population within neighboring countries still living in camps.
Yet, particularly in the West Bank and Gaza, UNRWA has been providing invaluable services that would otherwise have been the duty of Israel to provide as an occupying power. There have been several instances where pro-Israeli US Congressmen, listening to the rhetoric coming out of Israel, attempted to defund UNRWA and cease US contributions to its operation. But, they were told quietly that it is in Israel’s interest for the agency to continue in its work.
The very day after the ICJ announced its decision noting the humanitarian crisis and the plausible danger of genocide, funding was pulled from UNRWA. Whether to divert attention from the interim decision of the ICJ, or as part of the right wing’s long-standing desire to destroy UNRWA, Israel announced, with little or no proof, that 12 out of the 13,000 employees of UNRWA were involved in the attacks of October 7. Even though it received no evidence of wrongdoing, UNRWA promptly suspended the 12 employees and began an independent investigation into the allegations. Recent reports are saying that the actual number of accused employees has been revised to 6, or even 4. Yet this was not enough for those who demanded UNRWA itself be punished, possibly dismantled, and prevented from continuing its humanitarian mission. Led by the US, multiple western countries--in the midst of a man-made humanitarian catastrophe--promptly announced the suspension of all contributions to UNRWA.
Coming promptly after the ICJ decision, which indicated that humanitarian aid should be immediately expanded to prevent ongoing starvation, this decision is very hard to understand, particularly since none of these countries had any proof of UNRWA wrongdoing. Even if 12 employees out of 13,000 turned out to have participated in the October 7 attacks, this does not in any way implicate UNRWA itself or justify the suspension of its vital life-saving activities. The only explanation is that these countries have chosen, on the flimsiest of excuses, to participate in an action that makes them complicit in the very genocide the ICJ is warning against. It also highlights the gap between the 1% decision makers in these countries and the wishes of the overwhelming majority of their people, many of whom have marched in the streets in massive numbers demanding a ceasefire and showing care for and solidarity with the innocent Palestinians.
UNWRA funding must be restored!
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.
