The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)  has welcomed the  UK government’s decision to restore funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Elizabeth Funnel, country representative for the Middle East at CAFOD, the official international aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and part of Caritas International, said: “This move is a critical step towards supporting the education, health, and well-being of Palestinian refugees who rely on UNRWA's essential services.”

She went on to refer to the “grave reality” and the recent Israeli airstrike which hit an educational center, resulting in injuries to children. “Our partners work tirelessly to uphold children's rights to education, but ongoing conflict puts them and their vital work at constant risk,” she said.

CAFOD repeated its call for an immediate ceasefire to halt the violence and protect civilians, the suspension of arms sales to Israel, the release of all hostages and full humanitarian access to allow aid organizations to deliver crucial support to those in need. “We call on the international community to join in these efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace in the region. The safety and future of countless children and families in Gaza and the West Bank depend on it,” said Funnel.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced that the UK will restart funding to UNRWA in order to get aid as quickly as possible to those who need it in Gaza. In statement to MPs, Lammy said UK aid funding to Gaza is a “moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe”. The Foreign Secretary also reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire to secure the release of hostages and end the suffering in Gaza, following his visit to the region.

The funding will go towards UNRWA’s flash appeal for Gaza and the West Bank, which focuses its resources on emergency food, shelter and other support for three million people, as well as its wider work supporting six million Palestinian refugees across the region.