On December 11, 2024, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) launched a flash appeal, seeking $4.07 billion for “UN Agencies, INGO, and NGO partners” Gaza and West Bank operations in 2025 – $3.6 billion for Gaza and $453.9 for the West Bank. This follows a series of similar requests, including $1.2 billion for October 2023-March 2024 and $2.8 billion for April-December 2024. 

(For more information on these earlier appeals, read NGO Monitor’s report “NGOs and UN Agencies Funded Through UN OCHA-oPt’s Billion-Dollar ‘Flash Appeal’ on ‘Hostilities in Gaza and Israel’.”)

However, the UN continues in blatantly failing to acknowledge or address the lack of effective allocation of aid and the ongoing risks of diversion to terrorist organizations, particularly in Gaza. Similar to other UN-OCHA publications, the 48-page summary document for the appeal does not mention Hamas. Additionally, while understatedly noting a “rise in armed looting” – with no mention of the various Palestinian actors – UN-OCHA does not discuss ways to prevent, or even mitigate, diversion by Hamas and other armed actors. Instead, the document devotes space to bemoan a “targeted campaign to discredit the United Nations,” such as the “attack on UNRWA” – without attempting to present corrective measures regarding the UN’s role in exacerbating the conflict and the participation of UNRWA and other employees of humanitarian groups in terror activities. 

Worse, as in the past, political warfare against Israel, in particular legal attacks – using funds designated for humanitarian aid – is a central component of the flash appeal. For instance, “Priority activities” for “Protection” include:

  • “Centralized Protection Monitoring System…efforts to monitor and report violations of IHL and IHRL, including grave violations against children, ensuring accountability for violations and informing the humanitarian response and advocacy.” 
  • “documentation and reporting of violations of IHL and IHRL and grave child rights violations, ensuring accountability for violations and inform (sic) the humanitarian response.” 
  • “Protection advocacy.”
  • “Address the priority needs of Palestinians affected by movement and access restrictions, settler violence and land takeover, and dispossession and displacement for residents.” 
  • “Legal assistance for children who have been detained or in contact with the law.”
  • “Fill petitions with Israeli Courts on behalf of individuals and communities alike, as well as initiate principled litigation challenging discriminatory issues that affect large segments of the population of the West Bank.” 

Moreover, a lack of transparency regarding OCHA’s partner organizations and agencies prevents critical assessment of this appeal, including the susceptibility of aid to diversion. As described below, many of OCHA’s NGO partners lack sufficient infrastructure and policies to secure aid, and to prevent the hiring of and contracting with terror-linked individuals. 

In addition, some highly influential NGOs involved in UN-OCHA operations in the West Bank and Gaza actively oppose anti-terror vetting for aid. For instance, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), named by UN-OCHA as the point of contact for the Protection Cluster – campaigns internationally to weaken and circumvent anti-terror policies, including by demanding broad exemptions and opposing vetting of beneficiaries for terror ties. The NGO has also advocated for a greater role for Hamas in administering aid.

(For more information, see Monitor’s report, “Norwegian Refugee Council’s Campaign to Weaken and Circumvent US Anti-terror Policy.”)

Funding Request by Cluster1

 

Evidence of Recent Gaza Aid Diversion

Events in Gaza underscore the urgent need for robust mechanisms to vet humanitarian staff and beneficiaries to prevent the diversion of aid to terrorist groups. Notable examples include:

World Central Kitchen (WCK): Since 2023, the international aid organization has received $2 million through the OCHA-coordinated flash appeal.

On November 30, 2024, the IDF revealed that it had killed a Hamas member working for WCK. Following this incident, on December 9, 2024, Bloomberg reported that WCK fired over 10% of its Gaza workforce after 60 employees failed to pass Israeli security checks. 

World Vision: Reflecting UN-OCHA’s lack of transparency, World Vision is not referenced in this appeal. However, since 2023, the international aid organization has received $1.6 million through the OCHA-coordinated flash appeal.

Mohammad el-Halabi, World Vision’s manager of operations in Gaza, was convicted in 2022 by Israel’s Be’er Sheva District Court for diverting funds and aid materials over the course of a decade. (For further details, see NGO Monitor’s analysis: “Verdict in case of Mohammad El-Halabi/World Vision Diversion of Funds to Hamas.”)

UNRWA: Since 2023, UNRWA, which OCHA calls “the backbone of the international humanitarian operations” in Gaza, has received $682 million through the OCHA-coordinated flash appeal.

Hamas’ and other terror groups’ exploitation of UNRWA and its facilities is well documented, including the involvement of UNRWA employees in the Hamas-orchestrated October 7th massacre. 

Additional Aid Funding to Terror-linked Organizations

Several organizations involved in UN-OCHA-coordinated aid have documented links to terrorist organizations or have collaborated directly with such groups:

Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW): Since 2023, IRW has received funds through the OCHA-coordinated flash appeal.

On June 19, 2014, Israel’s Defense Minister declared IRW to be illegal, based on its alleged role in funneling money to Hamas, and banned it from operating in Israel and the West Bank. According to news reports, the decision was made after “the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), the coordinator for government activities in the territories, and legal authorities provided incriminating information against IRW.” 

In January 2021, the US State Department cut ties with IRW due to “anti-Semitism exhibited repeatedly by IRW’s leadership.”

Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO): Since 2023, PNGO has received funds through the OCHA-coordinated flash appeal.

PNGO is an umbrella framework of Palestinian NGOs in the West Bank and Gaza. Multiple PNGO officials have ties to terrorist organizations, and at least five PNGO members have ties to EU-designated terror organizations, including through their employees and/or board members who are directly involved in activities and programs. (For more information on PNGOs terror ties, see NGO Monitor’s report “PNGO’s Ties to Palestinian Terror Groups.”)

Al-Awda Health and Community Association: Since 2023, the organization has received funds through the OCHA-coordinated flash appeal. Al Awda Health and Community Association (formerly the Union of Health Work Committees) is identified by Fatah as an official PFLP “affiliate” and by a 1993 USAID-engaged audit as the “the PFLP’s health organization.” For more information on AWDA’s PFLP ties, read NGO Monitor’s report “Union of Health Work Committees’ Ties to the PFLP Terror Group.”

Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA): Since 2023, the organization has received $2.2 million through the OCHA-coordinated flash appeal. According to the US Department of Justice (DoJ), NPA provided “material support” to Iran, Hamas, and the PFLP. As a result, in April 2018, it settled a lawsuit with the DOJ and USAID.

(For more information, see NGO Monitor’s “Norwegian People’s Aid Funding to Terror Affiliated NGOs.”)