UN chief calls for donor countries to restore funding for Gaza relief agency

The UN agency has more than 13,000 staff working in Gaza, and at least 150 have been killed during the Israeli offensive.

Transcript

00:00 UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged countries to resume funding for the

00:05 UN`s relief agency for Palestinian refugees.

00:09 His call came after more countries, including the United States, suspended their funding

00:13 of UNRWA.

00:14 They say they`ll wait for an investigation to conclude whether UNRWA workers helped Hamas

00:19 carry out its attacks on Israel or not.

00:22 Although we`ve already suspended any additional allocations to UNRWA, we`ll certainly consider

00:26 additional - you know, what - depending on the investigation, whether that requires any

00:30 additional changes in the way we support UNRWA going forward.

00:34 The Palestine Liberation Organization has called on the countries to reverse their decision

00:39 to pull their funding, saying it posed great political and humanitarian relief risks.

00:44 Two million people, or almost 90 percent of Gaza`s population, relies on the food and

00:49 other aid UNRWA distributes.

00:52 Earlier this week, the agency fired at least 12 workers suspected of assisting Hamas.

00:56 UNRWA says if they`re found guilty, they`ll be prosecuted.

00:59 (whooshing)