While several countries have suspended financial support for UNRWA following accusations against staff of involvement in deadly Hamas attacks on civilians on October 7, the United Nations Secretary-General called this Sunday “with fewer guarantees” to continue operations essential to the survival of two million people.
Since Friday evening, twelve members of this humanitarian program, which was created in 1949 after the first Arab-Israeli war to help Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon and employs 27,000 people, are suspected of participating in the events of October 7 .
Nine people were dismissed from their duties, one was killed, and the identities of the other two are being established according to the UN, to which Israel provided information. The Jewish State demands that UNRWA no longer play any role in the Gaza Strip. On Saturday, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland joined the United States, Australia and Canada in suspending funding to the aid agency.
The city of Marseille has also suspended the payment of 80,000 euros until the investigation is completed.
The program does not have a UN budget; it is financed through voluntary contributions, 95% of which are paid by Western countries. In 2022, the largest donors were the United States, Germany and the European Union, which alone paid 400 million euros. In 2018, when Donald Trump, then the US president, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, he cut subsidies to the UN agency. Joe Biden recently reinstated them after the State Department congratulated UNRWA for its outreach, a boon for Republicans that launched the American presidential campaign with great success.
“Two million civilians in the Gaza Strip depend on UNRWA for critical assistance.”
“While I understand their concerns – I myself was horrified by these accusations – I urge governments that have suspended their contributions to at least guarantee the continuity of UNRWA operations,” Guterres said. “Two million civilians in Gaza depend on critical UNRWA assistance for their daily survival, but current UNRWA funding will not allow it to meet all needs in February,” he insisted.
“There must be consequences for the alleged despicable actions of these employees. But the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many of whom are in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be punished. We must respond to the urgent needs of the desperate populations they care for,” the Secretary-General added in the press release.
An internal investigation was launched and Guterres made a firm commitment to bring to justice “any UN official involved in terrorist acts, including through criminal prosecution.” In addition, “an urgent and comprehensive independent assessment of UNRWA will be carried out,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said yesterday.
Source: Le Parisien
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