NEW YORK/GENEVA/ROME, 30 January 2024 – The allegations of involvement of several UNRWA staff in the heinous attacks on Israel on 7 October are horrifying. As the Secretary-General has said, any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable.

However, we must not prevent an entire organization from delivering on its mandate to serve people in desperate need.

As aid organizations, we are deeply concerned and outraged that some of the largest donors have united to suspend funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the main aid provider for millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the region. This comes amid a rapidly worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

The Secretary-General, in consultation with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, has appointed an independent Review Group to assess whether the Agency is doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality and to respond to allegations of serious breaches when they are made.

The review will be led by Catherine Colonna, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, who will work with three research organizations: the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

The Secretary-General is horrified by extremely serious allegations which implicate several UNRWA staff members in the terror attacks of 7 October in Israel. The UN is taking swift action.

The Secretary-General immediately activated an investigation by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS).

Key Points  

The Gaza Strip 

Geneva, 13 February 2024

I just had a two-hour briefing with the Member States. Basically, we were talking about the situation in Rafah, which is deeply, deeply concerning and, as you know, people are anxious and in fear of a possible large-scale military operation.

His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the General Assembly, New York

Dear Mr. President,

The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is untenable. An estimated 1·7 million people—over 75% of the population—have been displaced across Gaza as of Jan 30, 2024,1 often multiple times. Families have been forced to move multiple times in search of safety. According to local authorities, as of Jan 7, 2024, at least 26 901 Palestinians have been killed, 65 949 have been injured, and 7780 are missing, mostly under the rubble.1 Access to life-saving health services has been severely affected. Electricity, fuel, water, and medicines are either in very short supply or non-existent.2

UNRWA has long faced misinformation and disinformation, including about its staff and operations. This has intensified since the war in Gaza began on 7 October. 

This document outlines UNRWA’s positions—based on objective, ascertainable facts, data, and firsthand information— on some of the most frequent claims and allegations made against the Agency in the media and social media by various individuals, organizations, public and private entities. 

Background