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H.R. 2411: UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2025

This bill, titled the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2025, aims to restore funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Below are the key components of the bill:

Purpose and Policy

The bill recognizes the importance of preventing further decline in civilian conditions in Gaza and supports UNRWA's efforts in addressing urgent humanitarian needs, particularly in relation to hunger and health crises.
It affirms the necessity of UNRWA's ongoing humanitarian and developmental services for Palestinian refugees in various regions including Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
The bill calls on Israel to provide support to UNRWA in maintaining neutrality and addressing any allegations of staff misconduct related to its neutrality policies.
It urges the President to collaborate with allied nations in restoring funding to UNRWA while ensuring that future funding is based on UNRWA’s adherence to recommendations aimed at improving accountability and transparency.
The implementation of some of these recommendations is acknowledged to require cooperation and additional funding from United Nations member states.
It expresses a need for the United States and Israel to assist in the implementation of these recommendations and supports funding for UNRWA for the fiscal year 2025 and subsequent years.

Funding Restoration

The bill proposes the repeal of previous laws that restricted funding to UNRWA.
Upon enactment, the Secretary of State is directed to resume funding to UNRWA as allowed by existing laws and to provide financial support for lifesaving humanitarian aid.
The bill also mandates that the President rescind a prior executive order that discontinued U.S. funding to certain UN organizations.

Reporting Requirements

The Secretary of State must submit reports to relevant congressional committees within 90 days of enactment and continue to provide quarterly updates until December 31, 2028. These reports should detail UNRWA's progress on implementing recommendations from an independent review led by Catherine Colonna, a former French Foreign Minister.