War-Hit Gazans Depend On UNRWA For ‘Sheer Survival’: Agency Official

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United Nation: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has confirmed that its staff are continuing to provide essential aid to people in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, despite the recent enforcement of an Israeli parliamentary ban on its operations.

UNRWA emphasized that its services are critical for the survival of many, particularly as over 462,000 individuals have fled from southern Gaza to the northern regions since Monday.

The UN and its humanitarian partners are actively assisting displaced individuals along two major routes with supplies such as water, high-energy biscuits, and medical care.

In the northern Gaza Strip, UN aid workers have witnessed people using shovels to clear debris and setting up makeshift shelters where their homes once stood.

Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s Director of Communications, warned that any disruption to the agency’s work would have catastrophic consequences, as it has provided vital healthcare and education for decades in these communities.

The recent ban, passed by the Israeli Knesset in October, aims to end UNRWA’s operations in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, due to accusations that some agency staff were involved in the October 7 attacks in Israel.

An internal UN investigation resulted in the dismissal of nine staff members. Under the new law, UNRWA was required to vacate its premises in East Jerusalem by January 30.

Despite the challenges, Touma reassured that UNRWA’s teams, even though personally affected by the ongoing conflict, remain committed to delivering services across Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. However, she noted that no official guidance had been received from Israeli authorities regarding the implementation of the Knesset’s ban.

Meanwhile, other UN agencies, including the World Food Programme (WFP), continue to ramp up efforts to provide aid to Gaza.

WFP has resumed full-scale food distribution, reaching 350,000 people since the January 19 ceasefire, and is distributing 20,000 hot meals daily in the northern region. Despite these efforts, WFP stressed the need for non-food supplies to enter Gaza.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that only 18 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functional, with many health centers also damaged.

WHO representatives highlighted the urgent need for medical evacuations, particularly for the 2,500 children at immediate risk of death, and called for the restoration of referral pathways to hospitals in the West Bank and East Jerusalem for critical care.