March 3, 2025

Dear Members of Congress:

We, the undersigned 124 civil society organizations, write to respectfully request your support for the restoration of United States funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) through cosponsorship of the forthcoming “UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2025.”

UNRWA’s staff, facilities, and infrastructure remain the backbone of the humanitarian response in the devastated Gaza Strip and serve as a significant stabilizing presence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Since October 2023, UNRWA has delivered two-thirds of all food assistance to Gaza, provided shelter to over a million displaced persons, and vaccinated a quarter of a million children against polio. UNRWA continues this wide-scale life-saving assistance, despite the implementation of Knesset restrictions in January on UNRWA’s operations in the occupied Palestinian territory.

In the first phase of the ceasefire alone, UNRWA brought in 60% of the food entering Gaza, reaching more than 2 million people, or over 90% of the population. In addition, the Agency opened 37 new shelters to support people returning to the north, providing tents, blankets, plastic sheeting, and warm clothes to survive the winter months. UNRWA is providing 17,000 medical consultations a day, repairing water wells, and providing waste disposal services for nearly half a million people in and around UNRWA shelters. Over 260,000 children, who were out of school for a year and a half due to constant bombardment, are now enrolled in UNRWA’s online learning platform.

In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, UNRWA offers stability by providing education to over 49,000 refugee children and youth who attend UNRWA schools and vocational training centers.
It also provides primary healthcare services to nearly half a million Palestine refugees at more than 40 UNRWA healthcare centers. In the last 12 months alone, UNRWA supported over 10,000 refugee families with cash assistance in response to house demolitions and damage, and settler violence. These UNRWA services are especially critical given the prolonged security situation in the northern part of the West Bank, which has already displaced 40,000 Palestine refugees from their homes.

Importantly, UNRWA and the broader UN acted swiftly and decisively to address any allegations concerning employee neutrality, as evidenced by the resumption of support by other UN member states – leaving the United States one of the only holdouts. We believe it is now time for Congress to actively reengage with the Administration with the goal of resuming US funding to UNRWA, ensuring the Agency can continue its mandate.

We are all grateful for the implementation of phase one of the ceasefire agreement, particularly the release of hostages and the increased flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, the current truce is fragile and the transition from a ceasefire to the “day after” will be long and arduous. UNRWA’s continued presence is essential to this process.

UNRWA was never intended to be a permanent entity. However, 76 years later, the Agency is still in place—not by choice, but rather as the result of a collective failure by UN Member States to resolve the underlying political issues. The alternative to imploding UNRWA is to support the UN Agency to progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political process.

We appreciate your consideration of this request and hope you will use your voice and vote to support the humanitarian needs and rights of Palestine refugees.

Respectfully,
UNRWA USA National Committee

US & International Organizations
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
99 Coalition
Action Corps
Alliance of Baptists
American Baptist Churches USA
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
…
and 118 other civil society organizations

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