Congress is proposing funding cuts to UNRWA
The largest humanitarian agency in Gaza. 
Sign the petition to resume life-saving funding now!

MoveOn.org

A million people are facing starvation in Gaza—the most ever recorded in history.¹ Children as young as two months old are dying, as recent reports predict that mass famine—with mass deaths—is “imminent.”²

Amid mounting public cries for a ceasefire to stop the starvation, dehydration, and bombardment of civilians, the US Congress pushed forward a spending bill this week that bans funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)—the largest humanitarian operation in Gaza—for TWO YEARS.³ And there’s a Senate amendment that could even permanently ban funding.⁴

The US is one of the top funders of UNRWA. Cutting funding is a death sentence for Palestinians who rely on UNRWA for food, water, and medical aid. Sign the petition to demand Congress resume funding NOW!

We can’t allow our government to cut off desperately needed humanitarian aid as the Israeli military ramps up their brutal and horrific attacks against Palestinians. Senator Bernie Sanders called the group of legislators behind the UNRWA funding ban a “starvation caucus,” and Senator Chris Van Hollen spoke out against the allegations against UNRWA, calling them “flat-out lies.”^5,6 We need to back up legislators in Congress who are pushing back against the UNRWA funding ban.

Canada, Australia, and Sweden had also initially suspended UNRWA funding but have recently resumed funding it because they know what is at stake for Palestinians if aid is cut. The United States can and must do the same.

ACTION: Demand the US
Resume Funding UNRWA Immediately

UNRWA has over 30,000 staff and has been providing humanitarian relief in Palestine for more than 70 years. The organization responded swiftly to allegations by the Israeli military accusing 12 UNRWA staff as having ties to Hamas. UNRWA fired the accused staff and immediately launched an investigation. Meanwhile, extensive, detailed accounts of abuse, coercion, and harassment of UNRWA staff by the Israeli military have emerged, increasing concerns that this may be a tactical smear campaign against UNRWA to weaken their efforts during this urgent humanitarian crisis.^7,8

Millions of lives are at stake. Palestinian families and children, who are already starving and experiencing mass death and violence every single day, are counting on all of us to ensure that funding for this vital aid is resumed before it’s too late.

We can ensure UNRWA complies with recommendations from independent investigations to strengthen their security and ethical standards while continuing to provide the necessary funding they need for ongoing humanitarian aid.

ACTION: Click here to add your name to the petition to demand Congress resume UNRWA funding immediately, and then send to three friends to help spread the word.

Thanks for all you do.
–Aliya, Sana, Nakia, Chloe, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. “Famine in northern Gaza is imminent as more than 1 million people face ‘catastrophic’ levels of hunger, new report warns,” CNN, March 19, 2024
   https://act.moveon.org/go/188350Y

   2. “Gaza’s catastrophic food shortage means mass death is imminent, monitor says,” Reuters, March 18, 2024
   https://act.moveon.org/go/188351

2. “‘Starvation Caucus’: US Lawmakers Push Spending Bill That Bars Funding for UNRWA,” Common Dreams, March 21, 2024
   https://act.moveon.org/go/188352

4.” US pause on funding UN’s main Palestinian relief agency may become permanent,” Reuters, March 13, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/188522

5. Ibid.
6. “‘Flat-out lies’: US senator slams allegations against UNRWA,” The New Arab, March 18, 2024
   https://act.moveon.org/go/188353
7. “Documents reveal alleged pattern of Israeli harassment of Unrwa workers on West Bank,” The Guardian, March 19, 2024
   https://act.moveon.org/go/188354
8. “Cuts to UNRWA Are Devastating Gaza,” Jacobin, March 5, 2024
   https://act.moveon.org/go/188355

Sign the Petition: Resume Funding for UNRWA.
Continue Aid to Civilians Facing Starvation

Dear MoveOn member,

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians—including children—are starving right now in Gaza. The poor and dangerous conditions and restrictions by the Israeli government have halted many of the United Nations’ operations. And the situation is only getting more heartbreakingly dire by the day, as hundreds of thousands face a famine.⁹

More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed because of Israeli Prime Minister B​​enjamin Netanyahu’s brutal bombardment of Gaza, and hundreds of thousands more are suffering. As we continue to push for a ceasefire, it is urgent that the US resume funding IMMEDIATELY to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the largest humanitarian operation in Gaza.

The UNRWA is at its “breaking point” as the crisis worsens.¹⁰ Humanitarian organizations like Oxfam and UNICEF have been sounding the alarm for months that the lack of food and water is creating inhumane conditions for innocent civilians. Pregnant people and children are not getting adequate nutrition, resulting in illnesses and death.¹⁰ 

Canada and Sweden just announced that they were resuming UNRWA funding. The United States needs to follow suit and reinstate funding NOW to UNRWA so they can continue humanitarian operations.

The UNRWA delivers essential humanitarian aid, including food, water, and hygiene kits, to Palestinians. Tell Congress to resume funding for the UNRWA immediately!