Norway has announced that it provided UNRWA with 275 million kroner (24 million euros) to help the organization deal with the "catastrophic situation" in Gaza.
According to the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, UNRWA is more than just a humanitarian organization. It represents a commitment by the international community to meet the basic needs of Palestinian refugees until a political solution to the conflict is reached.
He continued that it is not an option for Norway to abandon this commitment, especially when the Gaza Strip is in ruins.
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described UNRWA as the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza and appealed to all countries to guarantee the continuity of UNRWA's lifesaving work.
Guterres said: “UNRWA is the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza.”
He emphasized the importance of keeping the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) operational to meet the dire needs of civilians in Gaza and ensure continuity of services to Palestine refugees in the occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
The call for action came after the United States and their allies temporarily paused their funding as Israel accused some agency staff of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.