Over 200 Global NGOs Urge UN to End Reliance on UNRWA, Back Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – A interfaith coalition of more than 200 faith-based and secular NGOs from over 15 countries is calling on the United Nations and world leaders to abandon Gaza aid distribution through the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and instead partner with the U.S.-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

In a strongly worded letter to the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly, the signatories – which include the Christian Jewish Alliance, Israel Christian Nexus, and the Multi-Faith Women’s Empowerment Council – warn that UNRWA’s Gaza operations have been “compromised,” enabling Hamas to profit from and control humanitarian aid in violation of international law.

Hamas-UNRWA Aid Corruption Allegations

According to the letter, multiple reports and eyewitness testimonies from Palestinians and politicians confirm that Hamas has exploited the U.N.’s aid network, siphoning off an estimated $1 billion since the war began through direct theft and by taxing aid that should have been free.

Several U.N. employees have also been accused of hoarding food instead of distributing it, further fueling Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. The coalition says such practices violate the international prohibition against weaponizing aid for the benefit of armed groups.

GHF’s Civilian-Focused Alternative

By contrast, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has delivered more than 123 million free meals directly to ordinary Gazans since May, including 1.5 million in the past week alone, effectively blocking Hamas from profiting. Retired British Army Colonel Richard Kemp, after visiting GHF sites, called the operation “brilliantly conceived and extremely well executed,” describing it as “a turning point in the war” because it undermines Hamas’s stranglehold over aid.

UN Resistance and Hamas Retaliation

Despite GHF’s success, U.N. officials on the ground have reportedly refused to cooperate with the group and are “actively campaigning against it,” according to the letter. Hamas, viewing the independent aid effort as a threat, has allegedly placed bounties on GHF workers and engaged in torture and killings of Palestinian aid staff associated with the group.

The NGOs accuse the U.N. of prioritizing the restoration of the old UNRWA-led system – which they say facilitated Hamas’s profiteering – over genuine humanitarian needs.

Policy Demands

The coalition urges the U.N. and global leaders to:

• Formally oppose any attempt to obstruct or delegitimize GHF’s work.
• Establish coordinated aid operations between the U.N., GHF, and other credible organizations.
• Launch an independent investigation into UNRWA’s ties to Hamas, aid diversion, and obstruction of independent relief groups.

“There is overwhelming evidence that UNRWA-led aid in Gaza has been compromised… The GHF offers a viable, neutral, and effective alternative,” the letter concludes.

The appeal comes as pressure mounts on the U.N. to reform its Gaza aid policies, with many viewing the GHF model as a test case for breaking terrorist influence over humanitarian relief.

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