UNRWA Nears Critical Breaking Point in Gaza Operations

The UNRWA's operations in Gaza are nearing a breaking point due to complicated conditions, financial and political threats, and the urgent need for aid. The agency, essential for health and education services, faces deteriorating relations with Israel amid rising tensions from the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, is approaching a critical juncture in its operations within the Gaza Strip due to increasingly fraught conditions, its head revealed on Wednesday.

In a news conference held in Berlin, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini candidly expressed the potential cessation of agency operations, suggesting a near breaking point though unable to pinpoint an exact timeline. The agency wrestles with intertwined financial and political threats, exacerbating operational challenges amid dire conditions requiring desperate aid to combat looming hunger and disease threats.

Providing crucial education, health services, and aid to millions, UNRWA's longstanding strained relations with Israel have severely worsened post-Gaza war initiation. Israel's government recently accused UNRWA staff of colluding with Hamas, leading to suspended funding from some donors, though many have since restored it. The U.N. responded by investigating the allegations, terminating nine staff members.

(With inputs from agencies.)