[ [link removed] ]Congress is proposing funding cuts to the largest humanitarian agency
in Gaza. Sign the petition to demand they resume life-saving UNRWA funding
now!

John,

A devastating 1 million people are facing starvation in Gaza—the most ever
recorded in history.^1 Children as young as two months old are dying, as
recent reports predict that mass famine—with mass deaths—is
"imminent."^2 Amid mounting public cries for a ceasefire to stop the
starvation, dehydration, and bombardment of civilians, the U.S. Congress
pushed forward a spending bill this week that bans funding for the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA)—the largest humanitarian operation in Gaza—for TWO YEARS.^3 And
there's a Senate amendment that could even permanently ban funding.^4

[ [link removed] ]The U.S. is one of the top funders of UNRWA. Cutting funding is a death
sentence for Palestinians who rely on UNRWA for food, water, and medical
aid. Sign the petition to demand Congress resume funding NOW!

We can't allow our government to cut off desperately needed humanitarian
aid as the Israeli military ramps up their brutal and horrific attacks
against Palestinians. Senator Bernie Sanders called the group of
legislators behind the UNRWA funding ban a "starvation caucus," and
Senator Chris Van Hollen spoke out against the allegations against UNRWA,
calling them "flat-out lies."^5,6 We need to back up legislators in
Congress who are pushing back against the UNRWA funding ban. 

Canada, Australia, and Sweden had also initially suspended UNRWA funding
but have recently resumed funding it because they know what is at stake
for Palestinians if aid is cut. The United States can and must do the
same. [ [link removed] ]Sign the petition to demand that the U.S. resume funding
IMMEDIATELY to UNRWA.

UNRWA has over 30,000 staff and has been providing humanitarian relief in
Palestine for more than 70 years. The organization responded swiftly to
allegations by the Israeli military accusing 12 UNRWA staff as having ties
to Hamas. UNRWA fired the accused staff and immediately launched an
investigation. Meanwhile, extensive, detailed accounts of abuse, coercion,
and harassment of UNRWA staff by the Israeli military have emerged,
increasing concerns that this may be a tactical smear campaign against
UNRWA to weaken their efforts during this urgent humanitarian crisis.^7,8

Millions of lives are at stake. Palestinian families and children, who are
already starving and experiencing mass death and violence every single
day, are counting on all of us to ensure that funding for this vital aid
is resumed before it's too late.

We can ensure UNRWA complies with recommendations from independent
investigations to strengthen their security and ethical standards while
continuing to provide the necessary funding they need for ongoing
humanitarian aid. [ [link removed] ]Click here to add your name to the petition to demand
Congress resume UNRWA funding immediately, and then send to three friends
to help spread the word.

Thanks for all you do.

–Aliya, Sana, Nakia, Chloe, and the rest of the team

P.S. See our email from last week for more information about UNRWA and why
their work is critical. 

Sources:

1. "Famine in northern Gaza is imminent as more than 1 million people face
'catastrophic' levels of hunger, new report warns," CNN, March 19, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
2. "Gaza's catastrophic food shortage means mass death is imminent,
monitor says," Reuters, March 18, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

3. "'Starvation Caucus': US Lawmakers Push Spending Bill That Bars Funding
for UNRWA," Common Dreams, March 21, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

4." US pause on funding UN's main Palestinian relief agency may become
permanent," Reuters, March 13, 2024
[link removed]

5. Ibid. 

6. "'Flat-out lies': US senator slams allegations against UNRWA," The New
Arab, March 18, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

7. "Documents reveal alleged pattern of Israeli harassment of Unrwa
workers on West Bank," The Guardian, March 19, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

8. "Cuts to UNRWA Are Devastating Gaza," Jacobin, March 5, 2024
[link removed]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Dear MoveOn member,

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.^9

More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed because of Israeli Prime
Minister B​​enjamin Netanyahu's brutal bombardment of Gaza, and hundreds
of thousands more are suffering. [ [link removed] ]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.^10 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.^10 [ [link removed] ]Canada and Sweden just announced that they were resuming
UNRWA funding. The United States needs to follow suit and reinstate
funding NOW to UNRWA so they can continue humanitarian operations.

The UNRWA delivers essential humanitarian aid, including food, water, and
hygiene kits, to Palestinians. Tell Congress to resume funding for the
UNRWA immediately!

[13]Sign the petition

The UNRWA is one of the largest U.N programs, with over 30,000
staff.^12 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.^13 Despite the lack of evidence in the
dossier, the UNRWA swiftly launched an independent investigation and
increased standards for transparency and accountability.^14,15 Groups
warned that cutting UNRWA funding could exacerbate starvation and hunger
in Gaza, and that's exactly what has happened. 

[ [link removed] ]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.^16,17 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.^18 The
scale of harm unfolding in Gaza is indescribable, and we have to do
everything we can to stop it.

More than 500,000 MoveOn members and the UNRWA have called for a
ceasefire. In the meantime, Palestinians need aid NOW. [ [link removed] ]Sign the
petition to urge the U.S. to resume funding so that UNRWA can get
necessary supplies and resources to Gaza!

Sunday was the start of Ramadan, a holy holiday where Muslims break a
daily fast with feasts. Yet starvation, hunger, and death loom over
Palestinians in Gaza. [ [link removed] ]Click here to demand that the U.S. resume
funding of UNRWA immediately, and then share with three friends.

Thanks for all you do.

–Aliya, Sana, Nakia, Chloe, and the rest of the team

Sources:

9. "The 10-Year-Old Boy Who Has Become the Face of Starvation in
Gaza," The New York Times, March 9, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

10. "How the Biden Administration Kneecapped the Most Essential Aid Group
in Gaza," Mother Jones, March 5, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

11. Ibid.

12. "Organizational Structure," United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East, December 13, 2022
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

13. "Canada, Sweden resume UNRWA funding; CIA chief meets Mossad head for
talks," The Washington Post, March 9, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

14. "'Scandal': Israeli Dossier 'Provides No Evidence' for Claims Against
UNRWA Staff," Common Dreams, February 6, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

15. "What we know about Israel's allegations against UN staffers in Gaza,"
CNN, January 29, 2024
[link removed]

16. "In Photos: Children in Gaza Ill and Dying for Lack of Food, Say Gaza
Doctors," VOA News, March 11, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

17. "The 10-Year-Old Boy Who Has Become the Face of Starvation in
Gaza," The New York Times, March 9, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

18. "Israel: Starvation Used as Weapon of War in Gaza," Human Rights
Watch, December 18, 2023
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

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