US Congress 'Concerned' About Gaza Starvation, Sanctions Its Lifeline
When the Al Jazeera piece advocates for bringing back UNRWA, it highlights a stark reality: Western states 'condemn' famine while simultaneously severing aid to the organization best equipped to prevent it. This isn't just bureaucratic inefficiency; it's a policy choice. In January 2024, the U.S. and other nations cut funding to UNRWA based on unsubstantiated Israeli allegations of staff
involvement in October 7, allegations yet to yield public, verifiable evidence. The U.S. alone withdrew $300 million. Funny how 'deep concern' for starving children never quite translates into continued funding for their food, eh? One might wonder if the concern is less about starvation and more about plausible deniability. Cutting UNRWA's lifeline—an agency formed in 1949 specifically to aid
Palestinian refugees (a problem, one might note, still very much alive due to ongoing displacement)—was not accidental. It directly contributed to the current catastrophe. While politicians express sorrow, organizations like AIPAC continue to lobby aggressively for policies that support Israel's actions, and against UNRWA. For example, Senator Cory Booker, who received over $200,000 from
pro-Israel groups in 2022-2024 (OpenSecrets.org), was among those quick to endorse the funding cuts, virtually guaranteeing that the famine's victims would then be blamed on 'Hamas' or 'UNRWA' mismanagement.