£2000 raised by the Glór na Móna community for UNWRA
The money was collected at the Ó Cadhain Winter School and events in recent months for Palestine in West Belfast for UNWRA, a crucial agency for the Palestinian people after it suffered a ‘severe attack by Israel and Western governments' during the Israeli genocide on Palestine
Glór na Móna organised a concert for Palestine in January as part of the Ó Cadhain Winter School to raise funds for the people of Palestine. The sold-out concert featured some of the best local traditional musicians like Fergus Ó hÍr, Gráinne Holland, Edel Ní Churraoin, Niamh Nic Ionnrachtaigh, Conor Caldwell, Stiofán Loughran, Brendan Kerr, Torby who all performed for free in support of Palestine.
Glór na Móna continued to raise money after the concert to achieve a target of £2000. Due to the recent stories of Western governments cutting their funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA), an organisation that gives critical support to the people of Palestine, Glór decided to donate the £2000 to them last month.
Governments of the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Italy – major supporters of Israel – among other countries, withdrew their funding or $667.2 million in total from UNWRA following unfounded allegations by the Israeli government that UNWRA employees were involved in attacks on Israel.
UNWRA provides schools, hospitals, and many essential services needed by the people of Palestine, and due to these major cuts from Western governments UNWRA was on the verge of closing down. This is not the first attack by Israel on this important organisation, as Israeli forces have destroyed over 150 UNWRA facilities since the beginning of October 2023.
Our friend Khalid El-Alstal, pictured above, is from Gaza and was presented with the cheque for UNWRA on 15th March 2024. Khalid was in Belfast for the day, cooking for Glór na Móna’s community long-table lunch and fundraiser for Khalid’s friend Refat Abu Shab who is stuck in Gaza and whose family was killed by Israeli airstrikes. Over £200 was raised for Refat at the community lunch, and you can donate to him here.
Glór na Móna supports UNWRA and the significant work they do for Palestine. Donations can be made to the organisation here.
