What is Unrwa and why has Israel banned it?

Founded in 1949, the Palestinian Refugee Relief and Works Agency, or Unrwa, works in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, initially dealing with the 700,000 Palestinians who were forced from or fled their homes after the establishment of the state. of Israel.

Over the years, Unrwa has grown to become the largest UN agency operating in Gaza. Approximately 13,000 people work here and it is key to humanitarian efforts.

It is mainly funded by voluntary donations from UN member states, and the UN itself also provides some direct funding.

It distributes aid and operates shelters as well as basic infrastructure such as medical facilities, teacher training centers and almost 300 primary schools.

The agency announced that it has distributed food packages to approximately 1.9 million people since the start of the war in Gaza. It also provided medical advice to approximately six million people across the region throughout the conflict.

According to the agency, more than 200 Unrwa personnel have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023.