Qatar Fund donates $10 million to support UN agency for Palestinian refugees' essential services

ISTANBUL

The Qatar Fund for Development has donated $10 million to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) to support its core services for Palestinian refugees across the region, the agency announced Monday.

“Thank you to the Qatar Fund for Development for its generous contribution of $10 million to UNRWA,” the agency expressed gratitude for the contribution in a post on US social media company X.

“This support enables us to continue delivering essential services, including education and health care, to Palestine refugees throughout the region,” it added.

The agency also reiterated its commitment to “support those who need it the most.”

The agency provides education, health, and social services to Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

This funding comes amid an acute financial crisis that has threatened UNRWA’s ability to maintain its operations. The agency has repeatedly warned of the impact of funding shortages on the humanitarian situation, particularly in Gaza, where nearly 2 million Palestinians are suffering from war, famine, and siege.

Since March 2, Israel has closed all crossings into Gaza, blocking the entry of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid. While limited aid convoys are occasionally allowed in, they fall far short of meeting the population’s needs, and the aid seekers have found themselves under threat by Israeli forces. The UNRWA has also reported that many aid trucks are looted by armed groups, which the Gaza authorities accuse Israel of protecting.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza, and most of the infrastructure has been reduced to rubble.