Paris:
Several major donors said they would stop funding the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees after Israel accused staff of involvement in an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
UNRWA has fired several personnel and promised a thorough investigation into the allegations without specifying the circumstances, while Israel has vowed to halt the agency’s work in Gaza after the war.
UNRWA chief Filippo Lazzarini vowed to hold any staff found to be involved in “terrorist acts” “accountable, including through criminal prosecution.”
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres promised an urgent independent review of UNRWA but also implored donor countries to “guarantee the continuity” of the agency for the sake of the “desperate people” it serves.
The United States said on Friday it had suspended funding to the U.N. agency, and several other countries have followed suit. This is what they said:
Australia
Australian Foreign Minister Wong Yin-hyun said that while UNRWA provided “vital life-saving work”, the government would “temporarily stop disbursing recent funding”.
“We welcome UNRWA’s immediate response, including the termination of the contract and the launch of an investigation,” she said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
U.K.
The British government said it was “shocked” by the allegations made by Israel and would “temporarily suspend any future funding” while the Foreign Office reviews the allegations.
Canada
Canadian International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen announced that Ottawa is “temporarily suspending any additional funding to UNRWA while these allegations are thoroughly investigated.”
Finland
Finland signed a four-year agreement to provide 5 million euros ($5.4 million) annually to UNRWA.
Its foreign ministry suspended the payments and called for “an independent and thorough investigation.”
“We must ensure that not a single euro of Finnish funds goes to Hamas or other terrorists,” the statement said.
France
Paris said it did not plan to provide any new funding to UNRWA following the accusations.
“France has not yet planned new payments in the first quarter of 2024 and will decide when to take action together with the United Nations and major donors,” the French foreign ministry said, calling the allegations “extraordinarily serious.”
Germany
Germany also announced a suspension of funding.
A foreign ministry statement said that “Germany and other donor countries have agreed” that no further resources will be approved for now as long as the allegations have not been clarified.
Italy
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said it was joining those suspending funding.
“We are committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people while protecting Israel’s security,” it added.
Japan
Japan said it was “extremely concerned” and would withhold funding while the allegations against UNRWA staff were investigated.
“At the same time, Japan will continue to make unremitting and active diplomatic efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and calm the situation as soon as possible by providing support to other international organizations,” the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Netherlands
Dutch Trade and Development Minister Geoffrey van Leeuwen announced a freeze on funding to UNRWA while the investigation was ongoing, saying the government was “extremely shocked”.
“The allegation is that this attack was carried out on October 7 with UN funds, with our money,” he told public broadcaster NOS.
Norway
Norway said it would continue to provide funding so as not to “collectively punish millions of people”.
Foreign Affairs Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement: “While I am concerned about the very serious allegations against some UNRWA staff, I urge other donors to reflect on the The wider consequences of reduced funding for UNRWA at a time when it faces extreme humanitarian hardship.”
Switzerland
Switzerland contributes approximately 20 million Swiss francs ($23 million) to UNRWA each year.
A foreign ministry statement said no decision would be made on the 2024 payments until the allegations were clarified.
“Switzerland has zero tolerance for all forms of support for terrorism and incitement to hatred or incitement to violence,” the statement added.
USA
The U.S. State Department suspended the payments and welcomed the announcement of a U.N. investigation into the allegations.
It called for “full accountability for anyone involved in the heinous attack.”
It also emphasized that “UNRWA plays a critical role in providing life-saving assistance to Palestinians, including basic food, medicine, shelter and other critical humanitarian support”.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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