UNRWA says it will shutter in month if funding not restored

The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA says it will not be able to continue operations in Gaza and across the region beyond the end of February if funding is not resumed.

A string of countries including the United States, Germany and Britain have paused their funding to the aid agency in the wake of allegations that 12 UNRWA staff were involved in the October 7 massacre by Hamas in southern Israel.

“If the funding is not resumed, UNRWA will not be able to continue its services and operations across the region, including in Gaza, beyond the end of February,” a spokesperson for the agency says.

However, Germany says UNRWA is not the only source of humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and other avenues can be found.

“We continue to advocate for more humanitarian aid to be provided,” a German foreign ministry spokesperson tells a government press conference in Berlin.