Jeddah: The halt in funds directed at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) taken by some countries will risk worsening a humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip, according to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Sunday, citing the measure as tantamount to collective punishment.
OIC called on those countries to reverse their decision so that UNRWA can proceed with providing services to the Palestinian refugees and meeting their fundamental needs, such as food items, shelter and primary health care, particularly in Gaza Strip which experiences intricate conditions due to the persistent Israeli aggression that has been dragging on for 114 days, and has heretofore claimed tens of thousands lives of martyrs and wounded innocent civilians, including women, children, medical personnel, and journalists.
The organization added that the aggression has resulted in the intentional devastation of buildings, hospitals, schools, places of worship and UN facilities, in addition to preventing the arrival of food and medical items, as well as water and electricity.
In addition, OIC warned of the danger of bringing UNRWA's contributions to a halt and cutting off its services that reach millions of Palestinian refugees which could potentially affect security and stability in the region.
