Despite the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, marked not only by hunger and restricted access to medical treatment but also by the staggering toll of over 100,000 people killed or injured, New Zealand has joined a cohort of Western nations in halting its funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees. This decision coincides with the termination of several UNRWA employees’ contracts, pending an investigation into allegations—based on intelligence from Israeli sources—of their involvement in the Hamas attacks on October 7 in Israel. Notably, these allegations surfaced on the same day the International Court of Justice acknowledged a plausible cause of genocide, adding a layer of complexity to the international response.

The suspension of financial support by New Zealand and others casts a long shadow over Gaza’s humanitarian landscape, where UNRWA plays a pivotal role in providing essential services to a beleaguered population. With the agency now facing a critical funding shortfall, the capacity to sustain education, healthcare, and nutrition programs hangs in the balance. As the global community grapples with the implications of these unverified allegations, the pressing challenge remains: how to reconcile the imperative for accountability with the immediate and overwhelming humanitarian needs of millions of Palestinians, whose lives and well-being are caught in the crossfire of geopolitical strife.

Read here for more information: RNZ article