During the genocidal war on Gaza, UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, was a critical resource that distributed meals, blankets, and supplies to millions of people. For many, it was the only thing standing between them and starvation. Without UNRWA, our livelihood would have been unimaginable.

Now, with Israel’s new law banning its activities in Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank, more than two million people are at risk of losing access to food, healthcare, and education. The United Nations has warned that famine is imminent. How can humanitarian aid be politicized when lives are at stake?

This isn’t just a political issue; it’s a personal one. In fact, I wouldn’t be here without UNRWA.

During the Nakba of 1948, my great-grandparents were expelled by Zionist militias from their village of Dayr Sunayd, just 12 kilometers from Gaza City. Like hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, they were forced into exile, stripped of their land and properties, and of the right to return under Israel’s Absentees’ Property Law. The home they once knew was erased, leaving only the memory of a place they could no longer reach.

In response to this mass displacement, the United Nations established UNRWA in 1949. Originally intended as a temporary relief agency, it quickly became the cornerstone of aid for Palestinian refugees. Over time, its role expanded, providing essential services and evolving into the leading source of relief for millions of displaced Palestinians across the Middle East.

My father was born into this reality, growing up in the Jabalia refugee camp amidst deep poverty. At just two years old, the 1967 Naksa further reshaped his life. His father — my grandfather — was trapped in Egypt after the war and was unable to return to Gaza. The Israeli military occupation left thousands of Palestinians, including my grandfather, without identification documents and the right to reunite with their families. My father would meet his father only once in his lifetime.

Like countless other refugees, my father’s survival depended entirely on UNRWA, which provided his family........

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