UNRWA USA Warns of Impending Catastrophe in Gaza Following Severe WFP Aid Cuts; Calls on Congress to Pass the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2026
Public Statement by UNRWA USA
Washington, D.C. — In response to devastating reports that funding shortages have forced the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) to slash monthly food support for 500,000 people in Gaza, UNRWA USA is issuing an urgent warning to the American public and U.S. lawmakers.
With overall resource rations halved and essential supplies slashed just as a brutal fourth consecutive winter begins, UNRWA USA warns that the humanitarian system is collapsing under an unsustainable burden. When sister agencies are forced to pull back, desperate families lean entirely on UNRWA’s overstretched shelters and distribution networks. Grassroots charity alone cannot fill a gap of this magnitude.
Even with UNRWA funding restored, operations cannot succeed while restrictions by Israeli authorities on lifesaving supplies persist. UNRWA USA underscores to the international community that financial support is insufficient without a corresponding end to these access barriers, and calls for consistent, unfettered aid entry into Gaza to sustain basic humanitarian operations.
We urge lawmakers to immediately pass the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act. While international allies have resumed their support, the continued U.S. freeze on humanitarian aid directly accelerates the threat of starvation. Congress must restore this critical funding to protect millions of civilian lives and stabilize the region's core humanitarian backbone.
While we advocate for systemic funding restoration, families are facing starvation today. We call on compassionate donors to step into the breach. Your tax-deductible donation directly funds the emergency relief, healthcare, cash assistance, clean water, and winterization gear needed to keep children alive through the freezing months ahead. This assistance continues in Gaza through over 10,000 Palestinian UNRWA staff, ensuring humanitarian assistance reaches those in need regardless of border closures.
For WFP’s official statement, please visit this link: Funding cuts force WFP to drastically reduce lifesaving assistance in Gaza
Media Contact: Contact Zeina Hijazi, Director of Strategic Communications, UNRWA USA, by phone at (202) 909-7701 or via email at zeina@unrwausa.org
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UNRWA USA National Committee (UNRWA USA) is an independent nonprofit organization that provides support for the humanitarian work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). UNRWA USA lifts up the voices, experiences, and humanity of Palestine refugees to secure American support for resources essential to every human being, for the promise of a better life. U.S. taxpayers are eligible for tax deductions for donations made through UNRWA USA.
