(MENAFN) UN agencies in the Middle East are set to receive additional support following the passage of legislation by Congress in March, which temporarily halted funding to the main UN agency for Palestinians.

Several UN agencies have already begun strategizing on how to utilize the extra funding, according to sources familiar with the matter.

A senior humanitarian source in the region emphasized that the US initiative aims to ensure continued assistance for the Palestinian population, demonstrating the United States' commitment to supporting them.

A representative from the State Department highlighted a national security package recently approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. This package includes USD1 billion in funding designated to aid Palestinians in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and the broader Middle East.

“We continue to co-ordinate with other donors, both those that have suspended funding and those continuing to fund UNRWA, as we continue to work to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the spokesperson reported to a UAE-based news agency.

“We will look to other donors to continue to provide critical funding to UNRWA, as US funding to UNRWA is prohibited by Congress through March 2025.”

UNRWA offers assistance, financial aid, and crucial health and educational services to Palestinian refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.

Israel accused a group of UNRWA employees of participating in a Hamas attack on southern Israel, prompting the US, typically the agency's largest donor, to halt funding.

However, Israel has not publicly provided evidence to substantiate these allegations.

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