NEW YORK: UN member states, including many that temporarily cut funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency over Israeli claims last year, have rallied support for it as an essential force for Palestinians.
The UNRWA ministerial meeting was held on Thursday during the UN General Assembly, with an appearance from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who condemned Israel’s killing of the agency’s staff in Gaza.
It came as UNRWA sought urgent funding to address a significant financial shortfall of more than $200 million.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who hosted the meeting, said: “I don’t have to make the case for UNRWA. The starving children of Gaza so painfully make that case. The mothers who are watching their infants fade before their eyes make the case for UNRWA.
“The 600,000 or more students in Gaza who haven’t gone to school for two years make the case for UNRWA.
