-
-
-
Loading
Loading
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has called on countries to reconsider their decision to halt funding. Philippe Lazzarini stated that UNRWA is the primary humanitarian agency in Gaza, with over two million people relying on it for survival. Nine countries, including the UK, suspended funding after allegations arose that some UNRWA staff were involved in the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel in early October. UNRWA later fired these employees. The countries that have halted funding are Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. UNRWA, founded in 1949, is the largest UN agency operating in Gaza and provides healthcare, education, and other humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The agency employs around 13,000 people in Gaza and has used its facilities to shelter displaced civilians during the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas. The allegations of UNRWA staff involvement in the Hamas attacks were provided by Israel, which has accused various branches of the UN, including UNRWA, of bias and antisemitism. Mr. Lazzarini emphasized that UNRWA swiftly terminated the contracts of the accused individuals and called for an independent investigation. He argued that it would be unjust to penalize the entire agency and the community it serves based on allegations against a small group of staff. Mr. Lazzarini also stated that UNRWA shares its staff list with host countries every year and has not received any concerns regarding specific staff members. He added that an investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services would establish the truth of the allegations. In response to the allegations, major donors such as the UK and the US suspended funding to UNRWA, while the EU stated it would evaluate further actions based on the investigation's results. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his horror at the news, while Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz aims to cease UNRWA's operations in Gaza following the conflict. However, the Palestinian Authority's minister for civilian affairs, Hussein Al-Sheikh, warned of the political and humanitarian risks of countries pausing support for the essential UN agency. The Hamas attacks on 7 October prompted significant retaliation from Israel, resulting in the deaths of over 1,300 people, mostly civilians, and the displacement of approximately 1.7 million Palestinians. UNRWA is currently facing challenges in delivering humanitarian aid to the displaced population.