UNRWA schools in Gaza have been turned into shelters for displaced people (Al Jazeera)

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that the risk of famine in the northern Gaza Strip is worsening, in light of the lack of aid, and warned that its operations will stop by the end of this February.

The agency added that the enormous humanitarian needs of more than two million people in Gaza face the risk of worsening, after the decision of 16 countries to suspend their support.

UNRWA added, in a statement, that it is difficult for the residents of Gaza to survive the crisis without UNRWA’s assistance.

In its statement, the agency suggested that it would be forced to stop its operations by the end of February in the entire region, not just Gaza, if funding remained suspended.

UNRWA Communications Director Juliet Touma said that all operations in the region, not just in Gaza, will likely stop by the end of this month if the funding suspension continues.

Israeli allegations

In continuation of Israeli pressure on the agency; Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that UNRWA has lost the legitimacy of its existence in its current form, he said.

Gallant added to a delegation of United Nations ambassadors that international funding for the agency was invested in strengthening terrorist infrastructure and paying terrorist salaries, according to his claim.

After accusations from Israel against a number of UNRWA employees, 16 countries, led by the United States, suspended their funding to the agency, in a move that was met with widespread Palestinian and international rejection.

A catch-up from the White House

For its part, the White House said that the US administration had suspended funding allocated to UNRWA and had not terminated it.

In turn, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the United Nations remains a pivotal partner, but the terrible allegations raised against some UNRWA employees must be addressed, as he put it.

Blinken's statements came shortly before his meeting in Washington with the UN aid coordinator in Gaza, Sigrid Kaag.

Belgium continues to support

Meanwhile, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Petra de Stotter said that her country will continue to fund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), because the role that the agency plays in providing humanitarian support in Gaza is indispensable, as she put it.

Stotter added that Brussels will continue to follow up on the internal investigations conducted by UNRWA regarding the charges against it, stressing the need for them to be transparent.

China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, called for an independent investigation into the suspected involvement of UNRWA employees in the October 7 attack.

Jang stressed the need to continue providing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, stressing that the war is still continuing, and that UNRWA represents a lifeline for the Palestinians.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies