Six European nations stopped providing financing to the United Nations refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) on Saturday in response to claims that some of its employees had participated in the Hamas strikes against Israel on October 7.
Following Israel’s accusations, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Finland joined the US, Australia, and Canada in halting money to the relief organization, which is a vital source of support for those living in Gaza.
The decision by over a dozen Western nations to halt financing to the UN assistance agency for Palestinians has been criticized by Palestinian leaders and Hamas, who have demanded an urgent reversal of the action, despite the “great” danger involved.
What lead to halt of funds for Palestine?
After Israel claimed that some of its workers were engaged in the October 7 assaults that started the current war, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) previously announced that it had launched an inquiry.
The chairman of UNRWA referred to this as “shocking” and at least ten Western nations have since stopped supporting the organization or temporarily halted it.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement late on Saturday that “suspension of funds threatens humanitarian work in the region, especially in Gaza” and he urged nations who had frozen money to “reconsider their decisions” since Gaza is in danger of becoming hungry.
Hussein al-Sheikh, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), had earlier stated that the country’s choice “entails great political and humanitarian relief risks”.
He wrote on X, pleading with the nations to “immediately reverse their decision,” saying, “At this particular time and in light of the continuing aggression against the Palestinian people, we need the maximum support for this international organization and not stopping support and assistance to it.”
Funding for the organization has been cut off by the US, Australia, Canada, Italy, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK, and Scotland. Israeli air attacks have regularly targeted the organization’s shelters for Palestinian refugees.
The 27-member bloc will “assess further steps and draw lessons based on the result of the full and comprehensive investigation,” according to European Union foreign policy head Josep Borrell.
Yet, Norway and Ireland declared their continuous support for UNRWA, stating that the organization is vital in helping the displaced Palestinians in Gaza who are in great need of aid.
The Agency has a large position in Gaza aid
Established at Israel’s inception to assist 1948 war refugees, UNRWA offers health, education, and humanitarian services to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. It provides assistance to around two thirds of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents and has been essential in Israel’s war effort to destroy Hamas since the strikes on October 7.
Lazzarini declared on Friday that he had chosen to end the contracts of a few employees in order to safeguard the organization’s capacity to provide relief to those in need while also announcing the inquiry.
The number of personnel and the nature of their suspected involvement in the assaults were not disclosed by Lazzarini. Nonetheless, he declared that “any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror” would face consequences, including legal action.
UNRWA has stated time and time again that it is in danger of losing its ability to provide humanitarian relief to residents of Gaza amid weeks of Israeli shelling of the Palestinian territory.
The German Foreign Ministry, a significant donor to UNRWA, expressed its serious concern about the accusations made against agency staff while applauding UNRWA’s inquiry.
“We expect Lazzarini to make it clear within UNRWA’s workforce that all forms of hatred and violence are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” it stated on X.
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