This bill, titled the "UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2025," seeks to restore United States financial support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). It recognizes UNRWA's indispensable contribution to addressing urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, particularly in mitigating famine and disease, and reaffirms its role in providing services to Palestinian refugees across the Near East. The legislation asserts that preventing the further erosion of civilian conditions in Gaza aligns with U.S. strategic and moral interests. To achieve this restoration, the bill specifically repeals previous legislative provisions from the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, and the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024, which had prohibited funding to UNRWA. It further directs the Secretary of State to promptly resume funding under existing authorities and mandates the President to rescind an executive order from February 2025 that had withdrawn U.S. support. The bill urges the President to assess continued funding based on UNRWA's execution of recommendations from the Independent Review Group, led by Catherine Colonna, and encourages Israel to assist UNRWA's neutrality efforts. The Secretary of State is also required to submit quarterly reports on UNRWA's progress in implementing these recommendations.
This bill, titled the "UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2025," seeks to restore United States financial support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). It recognizes UNRWA's indispensable contribution to addressing urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, particularly in mitigating famine and disease, and reaffirms its role in providing services to Palestinian refugees across the Near East. The legislation asserts that preventing the further erosion of civilian conditions in Gaza aligns with U.S. strategic and moral interests. To achieve this restoration, the bill specifically repeals previous legislative provisions from the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, and the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024, which had prohibited funding to UNRWA. It further directs the Secretary of State to promptly resume funding under existing authorities and mandates the President to rescind an executive order from February 2025 that had withdrawn U.S. support. The bill urges the President to assess continued funding based on UNRWA's execution of recommendations from the Independent Review Group, led by Catherine Colonna, and encourages Israel to assist UNRWA's neutrality efforts. The Secretary of State is also required to submit quarterly reports on UNRWA's progress in implementing these recommendations.