The United Nations agency responsible for distributing aid in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip has suspended much of its activity after its headquarters was stormed by Palestinian protesters.  Robert Turner, who heads Gaza operations for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) blasted the “apparently pre-planned” incident, calling it “completely unacceptable… unwarranted and unprecedented.”

Decades of U.N. aid have contributed to a situation in which two-thirds of Gaza’s population relies on UNRWA for cash and food disbursements. The organization has been criticized for using a unique definition of “refugees,” resulting in millions of Palestinians under the organization’s care. UNRWA has come under fire in recent weeks for media outreach designed to circumvent efforts in the U.S. Senate to increase accountability and transparency regarding how it defines and approaches refugees.

The organization has stated that it will keep its Gaza offices closed until security conditions improve, but that it will take substantial measures to ensure that the Gazans who rely on UNRWA for money and food are not impacted.

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