The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) forms the backbone for all humanitarian aid missions in the Gaza Strip, and its work needs to continue, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, Paralel.Az reports.

"I underscored the importance of keeping UNRWA’s vital work going to meet the dire needs of civilians in Gaza, and to ensure its continuity of services to Palestine refugees in the occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. UNRWA is the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza," he said. "I appeal to all Member States to guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s life-saving work."

In his opinion, the humanitarian system in Gaza "is collapsing."

"I am extremely concerned by the inhumane conditions faced by Gaza’s 2.2 million people," the UN chief continued. "Everyone in Gaza is hungry, while half a million grapple with catastrophic levels of food insecurity."

A number of countries, including the UK, Germany, Canada and the US, have announced that they are suspending funding for UNRWA after some of its employees were suspected of having links to the radical movement Hamas. Bloomberg reported that Israeli authorities believe that up to 10% of UNRWA officials were members of the radical Palestinian movements of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini ordered that several employees, who were allegedly involved in a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, be fired.