The United Nations recently declared that Gaza is facing “widespread starvation.” The horrors of famine are dominating the headlines in the media, and politicians around the world are finally taking steps to address the crisis, even if those moves are long overdue. But Republicans in Congress decided to take another approach and want the starvation to continue.
GOP Increases Efforts to Ban UNRWA
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is the key provider of humanitarian aid in Gaza. It is responsible for delivering food to more than one million Palestinians. However, its ability to carry out this important mission has been hampered in recent years. After being accused of supporting terrorism by Israel, UNRWA lost the majority of its funding. Additionally, it is unable to reach Gaza at the moment despite having 6,000 trucks of food ready to enter the region.
The United States initially paused the funding to UNRWA, which was around $300 million, in 2024 under Joe Biden. Trump extended the ban by stopping all foreign aid, and now Republicans want to tighten it. The new proposed bill would take additional measures, including a pause on funding for the United Nations Secretariat, which is UNRWA’s parent agency.
U.S. Continues to Support Controversial Organizations
While most European countries quickly reversed their decision to stop funding UNRWA, the United States is pouring its resources into controversial organizations. One of them is the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is backed by Israel and received $30 million from the U.S. This organization started operating in May, and it is facing major criticism for “violating all norms of humanitarian work.” It only has four aid distribution points, compared to UNWRA’s 400, and they are located in militarized zones where Palestinians are facing great danger. It is estimated that more than 400 people were killed by Israeli forces while trying to secure aid from GHF.
More than 170 charities and non-profit organizations recently issued a plea to shut down the GHF. Senate Democrats joined in, sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio in which they asked him to stop funding the organization. Instead, they urged the Trump administration to “resume support for the existing UN-led aid coordination mechanisms with enhanced oversight to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in need.”
U.S. is Becoming an Accomplice in Mass Starvation
Israel’s aggressive campaign against UNRWA and refusal to allow aid to reach Gaza is expected. After all, it is part of their tactic to crush the spirit of the people and, in this latest case, to crush their bodies. But despite the overwhelming support for Israel, the U.S. didn’t need to become an accomplice in mass starvation in the 21st century. But Republicans are leading the country down that path, and history will remember.
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