The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced on Wednesday that it has lost 212 of its staff members since the onset of the Israeli offensive on Gaza last October. The agency shared this update through its official X account.
Despite these significant losses, UNRWA has maintained its commitment to delivering humanitarian aid under extremely challenging conditions. The organization described its humanitarian efforts in Gaza as “one of the most challenging in the world” currently.
Since October 7, UNRWA has documented 464 incidents affecting its premises and the individuals within them across the Gaza Strip. The agency, which is the largest humanitarian organization in Gaza and a cornerstone of aid operations in the region, was established by the UN General Assembly over 70 years ago to support Palestinians displaced from their homes.
The current Israeli offensive, which followed a Hamas attack on October 7, has led to nearly 40,500 Palestinian deaths, predominantly women and children, and over 93,500 injuries, according to local health authorities. The ongoing blockade of Gaza has exacerbated the crisis, resulting in severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, and leaving much of the region devastated.
Amid these dire conditions, Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has called for a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah. The city, which had been a refuge for over one million Palestinians, was invaded on May 6.
