Sign the petition NOW to resume funding to the UNRWA so they can continue providing critical aid to Palestinians facing starvation and dehydration! ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

Dear John,

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians—including children—are starving right now in Gaza. The poor and dangerous conditions and restrictions by the Israeli government have halted many of the United Nations' operations. And the situation is only getting more heartbreakingly dire by the day, as hundreds of thousands face a famine.¹

More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed because of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's brutal bombardment of Gaza, and hundreds of thousands more are suffering. As we continue to push for a ceasefire, it is urgent that the U.S. resume funding IMMEDIATELY to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the largest humanitarian operation in Gaza.

The UNRWA is at its "breaking point" as the crisis worsens.² Humanitarian organizations like Oxfam and UNICEF have been sounding the alarm for months that the lack of food and water is creating inhumane conditions for innocent civilians. Pregnant people and children are not getting adequate nutrition, resulting in illnesses and death.³ Canada and Sweden just announced that they are resuming UNRWA funding.⁴ The United States needs to follow suit and reinstate funding NOW to UNRWA so they can continue humanitarian operations.

Sign the Petition

The UNRWA is one of the largest U.N programs, with over 30,000 staff.⁵ The U.S. halted funding in January, after Israeli officials accused a handful of UNRWA staff members of having involvement with Hamas and the attacks on October 7, 2023.⁶ Despite the lack of evidence in the dossier, the UNRWA swiftly launched an independent investigation and increased standards for transparency and accountability.^7,8 Groups warned that cutting UNRWA funding could exacerbate starvation and hunger in Gaza, and that's exactly what has happened.

The U.S. is the top funder among countries that provide funding to the UNRWA. Add your name to the petition to demand that your members of Congress resume funding immediately to ensure aid continues to get to starving Palestinians!

Devastating photos and stories are flooding the internet about children in northern Gaza who are starving.^9,10 The Israeli government has repeatedly cut off and undermined access to food and water, yet the U.S. is still sending billions of dollars in weapons and aid to Israel.¹¹ The scale of harm unfolding in Gaza is indescribable, and we have to do everything we can to stop it.

Sixty-seven percent of American voters support the U.S. calling for a permanent ceasefire and a de-escalation of violence in Gaza.¹² In the meantime, Palestinians need aid NOW. Click here to demand that the U.S. resume funding of UNRWA immediately, and then share with three friends.

Thanks for all you do.

–MoveOn

Sources:

1. "The 10-Year-Old Boy Who Has Become the Face of Starvation in Gaza," The New York Times, March 9, 2024
   https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/09/world/middleeast/yazan-kafarneh-gaza-starvation.html
2. "How the Biden Administration Kneecapped the Most Essential Aid Group in Gaza," Mother Jones, March 5, 2024
   https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/03/unrwa-gaza-funding-white-house-biden-administration-hamas/
3. Ibid.
4. "Canada, Sweden resume UNRWA funding; CIA chief meets Mossad head for talks," The Washington Post, March 9, 2024
   https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/09/israel-hamas-war-news-gaza-palestine/
5. "Organizational Structure," United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, December 13, 2022
   https://www.unrwa.org/who-we-are/organizational-structure
6. "Canada, Sweden resume UNRWA funding; CIA chief meets Mossad head for talks," The Washington Post, March 9, 2024
   https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/09/israel-hamas-war-news-gaza-palestine/
7. "'Scandal': Israeli Dossier 'Provides No Evidence' for Claims Against UNRWA Staff," Common Dreams, February 6, 2024
   https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-dossier-unrwa
8. "What we know about Israel's allegations against UN staffers in Gaza," CNN, January 29, 2024
   https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/27/middleeast/unrwa-israel-hamas-october-7-allegations-intl/index.html
9. "In Photos: Children in Gaza Ill and Dying for Lack of Food, Say Gaza Doctors," VOA News, March 11, 2024
   https://www.voanews.com/a/in-photos-children-in-gaza-ill-and-dying-for-lack-of-food-say-gaza-doctors-/7522700.html
10. "The 10-Year-Old Boy Who Has Become the Face of Starvation in Gaza," The New York Times, March 9, 2024
    https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/09/world/middleeast/yazan-kafarneh-gaza-starvation.html
11. "Israel: Starvation Used as Weapon of War in Gaza," Human Rights Watch, December 18, 2023
    https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/12/18/israel-starvation-used-weapon-war-gaza
12. “Voters Support the U.S. Calling for Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza and Conditioning Military Aid to Israel,” Data for Progress, February 27, 2024
    https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2024/2/27/voters-support-the-us-calling-for-permanent-ceasefire-in-gaza-and-conditioning-military-aid-to-israel

 

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PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG CIVIC ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.