UNRWA

Death and war. War and death.

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

Every day, my inbox is populated with emails about Gaza. Those messages come from people and organizations that refuse to cede ground to apartheid Israel. Today’s emails include updates from fundraisers for Palestinian families and UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) whose subject line read: 800 killed in Gaza just trying to get food. Yes, starving people assassinated by Israel and its chief sponsor, the United States taxpayer, for the crime of needing food for their families.

Heartbroken and enraged, I turned to If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose by Refaat Alareer. Refaat was murdered by Israel on December 6, 2023, and his work published posthumously with support from the global community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following excerpt is from “In Gaza, We Have Grown Accustomed to War” (October 19, 2023):

Death and war. War and death. These are two persona non grata, yet we can’t force them to leave. To let us be.

Palestinian poet Tamim Barghouti summarizes the relationship between death and the Palestinians that war brings (my translation):

It was not wise of you, Death, to draw near.

It was not wise to besiege us all these years.

It was not wise to dwell this close,

So close we’ve memorized your visage

Your eating habits

Your time of rest

Your mood swings

Your heart’s desires

Even your frailties.

O, death, beware!

Don’t rest that you tallied us.

We are many.

And we are still here

[Seventy] years after the invasion

Our torches are still alight

Two centuries

After Jesus went to his third grade in our land

We have known you, Death, too well.

O, Death, our intent is clear:

We will beat you,

Even if they slay us, one and all.

Death, fear us,

For here we are, unafraid.

Here’s a link to buy If I Must Die (paperback is also available for pre-order).
Here’s a link to donate to UNRWAUSA.org (and yes, they’re still operating in Gaza). This from their email: Our 12,000 UNRWA colleagues in Gaza are still distributing food, water, and medical care, as best they can, every day, under unimaginable circumstances.

Even after more than 320 of our UNRWA colleagues have been killed. Even after dozens of UNRWA shelters have been hit. Even after borders are blocked and bombs continue to drop.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring.
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

Wordful Wednesday: Geese & Gaza

/ Tracy Abell

Isn’t this a serene image? Five geese winging their way through blue, blue skies? Aren’t you glad you can view this in the safety and comfort of your home?

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. March 11, 2024

On February 1, I wrote about the Biden administration callously suspending funding for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) because of unfounded allegations against some of the workers. In the time since, Israel has offered zero evidence of those lies and one million people are facing starvation and the spread of preventable diseases. Per Jewish Voice for Peace: Today, one-third of children under the age of two in Gaza’s north are suffering from acute malnutrition, more than double the number from a month ago. 

PLEASE take two minutes to email your Representative and two Senators, asking them to pressure the Biden administration to resume funding of UNRWA. That link contains a letter template you can personalize. I know we’ve already emailed them with this same demand, but we cannot stop pressuring them to do the right thing until they actually do the right thing.

As way of thanks, here’s another gooseful photo:

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. March 12, 2024

Solidarity!

PLEASE: Take action on behalf of UNRWA

/ Tracy Abell / 10 Comments

I’ve reached my limit with those who either cheer on or can’t be bothered by genocide, starvation, and collective punishment in Gaza and the West Bank.  Unfortunately, it’s not only the unhinged person from Tel Aviv who leaves comments here (which, fortunately, are treated as spam by WordPress), but the Biden administration and the vast majority of the House and Senate who are proudly showing the world that they are soulless ghouls. I cry a lot these days.

I’m going to put background info below, but here’s my ask: please personalize the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) letter HERE to pressure your electeds to demand that the Biden administration reverse its heinous decision to stop funding the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees). Bonus points if you also call their offices to demand that UNRWA be funded again! Also, if you’re able to donate to UNRWA, do that HERE. (More on the dire funding situation below)

Image copied from JVP/The Wire article

Basically, UNRWA was established in 1949 for the welfare of Palestinian refugees who were removed from their land. This “who we are” from UNRWA explains more.

Go HERE for JVP’s piece yesterday about how Israel’s unsubstantiated claims that UNRWA workers were involved on October 7 has resulted in sixteen (!) countries cutting funding to UNRWA.

Go HERE to read today’s statement from UNRWA titled “THE GAZA STRIP: HUMANITARIAN CRISIS DEEPENS AT A TIME FUNDING SUSPENSIONS PUT UNRWA AID OPERATIONS IN PERIL”
Spoiler alert: if funding isn’t reinstated, they will most likely have to stop operations at the end of February.

Thank you so very much if you’ve read this far and taken action. Really and truly, I appreciate you and your compassion. ❤️

Edited to add: YouTube video interview between Owen Jones and Chris Gunness, the former chief spokesperson for UNRWA.