Palestinians line up for a free meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Feb 16, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

GAZA / UNITED NATIONS - The European Union (EU) has granted 50 million euros($54 million) to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), the agency's Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Friday.

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The funding, part of the EU's total allocation of 82 million euros for UNRWA in 2024, will help the agency maintain essential life-saving services for Palestinian refugees across the region, Lazzarini said in a press statement.

UNRWA has been in a dire situation after Western donors suspended funding following Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA employees in Gaza were involved in the Oct 7 attacks in southern Israel

Praising the EU as a long-term partner of UNRWA, Lazzarini stressed that providing full financial support to the agency was crucial to keep its operations running in an extremely volatile region.

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UN chief welcomes EU funding

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes Friday's decision by the European Commission and very much hopes that other donors will follow suit and support UNRWA, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for Guterres.

UNRWA has been in a dire situation after Western donors suspended funding following Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA employees in Gaza were involved in the Oct 7 attacks in southern Israel.

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UNRWA, established by the UN General Assembly, is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states.

The agency provides assistance and protection to some 5.9 million Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.