Saudi Arabia has pledged $40 million in funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), a vital UN aid agency for Palestinians in Gaza. The announcement was made in a news release on Wednesday.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, the supervisor general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), and UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. This funding will be used to provide food for over 250,000 individuals and tents for 20,000 families, as per officials.
The timing of this support is critical as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are facing severe food shortages, with limited aid reaching the region, according to the UN.
Dr. Al Rabeeah emphasized the importance of addressing the urgent needs of the people in Gaza, stating that KSRelief is dedicated to assisting in delivering humanitarian aid during this challenging period.
UNRWA has experienced a heightened demand for funding after several countries halted payments in response to allegations by Israel linking some UNRWA staff to a Hamas attack on October 7. Following the allegations, UNRWA terminated multiple employees and initiated an investigation. However, key donors like the United States have yet to resume funding the organization.
In a previous instance of support, in November 2023, KSRelief provided a $15 million contribution to UNRWA for humanitarian aid, including provisions of food and medicine.
