International Development Minister Ahmed Hussein said the United States Ambassador to the United Nations appealed to Canada last month to continue funding the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees.

In January, Canada was one of 16 countries that froze funding to the organization following Israeli allegations that dozens of its workers participated in Hamas attacks on October 7 on Israeli territory.

But earlier this month, Hussein announced that Ottawa would proceed with a scheduled payment to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East after Canada received an interim report on these allegations.

The decision came about two weeks after Hussein met with Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US envoy to the United Nations.

Hussein added that she urged Ottawa to "not withdraw support from UNRWA".

The minister said in a recent interview with the Canadian press: "She appealed to us to continue dealing with UNRWA and to provide UNRWA with the support it needs, in appreciation of the lifeline UNRWA provides to Palestinians."

The United States has been the largest financial supporter of UNRWA for years, sending $343 million in 2022.

They withdrew their funding on January 26 following these allegations.

Hussein said Canada decided to proceed with a $25 million payment due to the agency in April because of reforms and increased accountability within the agency.

He also said the decision was made because the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is worsening day by day, and urgent aid is needed.

Hussein said UNRWA is the "backbone" of aid in the region.

The European Union, Australia, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland have also restored some of their funding to UNRWA, but many of its largest donors, including the United States, have not yet done so.

Germany pledged new funding on Tuesday for UNRWA’s work in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank, but its aid to UNRWA in Gaza remains pending.

Last week, the United States extended the suspension of UNRWA funding for at least a year after Congress approved a spending package that averted a government shutdown. Republicans supported this measure to cut aid, and the White House said in principle that it supports UNRWA’s work.

In mid-February, the Joe Biden administration indicated it was holding talks with allies to maintain the flow of humanitarian aid.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at the time that talks are underway with international partners "about the importance of ensuring that humanitarian aid is not interrupted."

The United States did not immediately respond to questions regarding Hussein's comments.

Hussein said Ottawa is increasingly concerned about the "insufficient access" to deliver aid to Gaza, especially in the north, where officials say famine is imminent.

Hussein said: "It is still not at the level we would like to see, and the level required by the need."

UNRWA continued to blame Israel for refusing to allow a convoy of aid to deliver supplies to northern Gaza, saying two months have passed since the convoy was able to reach the area.

The Israeli government responded by saying hundreds of trucks full of aid are simply waiting for the United Nations and its partners to distribute them.

Hussein was in Egypt in February, where he said he saw 700 aid trucks stopped at the border, stationary for three to four weeks.

He said he raised the need for more entry points into Gaza with the Israeli Ambassador to Canada, just as Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the issue with other Israeli officials.

Hussein added that the situation is "very frustrating" for relief organizations and Canada, noting that the number of trucks passing in January and February was less than in November and December.

UNRWA said that during the first 23 days of March, an average of 157 aid trucks crossed into Gaza daily, less than the target of 500 trucks.

Security is a concern for Israel, which is heavily involved in controlling access to the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

Hussein said it has a "very strict" process for inspecting and approving aid trucks.

Hussein said: "However, I believe that even with this consideration, the volume and quantity of aid being brought in can be increased, especially by considering more border crossings."

Meanwhile, Canada and its partners began funding airlift operations of aid earlier this month.

The Royal Jordanian Air Force is leading these efforts, which included Canadian contributions of food, medical supplies, blankets, winter clothing, and 300 umbrellas.

Canada is also working with international partners to provide aid to a temporary port that the United States is helping to build. Biden announced the project in his State of the Union address earlier this month.

Hussein said that airlift and sea routes are not substitutes for delivering aid through land borders, emphasizing that he will not stop fighting until trucks and humanitarian workers are allowed unhindered access to the area.

Hussein added: "People are in a very desperate state, resorting to using animal feed to cook something from it. They are eating grass, scrambling for anything they can get their hands on."

"The humanitarian situation is very bad. In some parts of Gaza, we face the risk of mass famine and famine-like conditions."

Canada continues to call for a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons and the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas.