Many countries followed the US in stopping funding for UNRWA, the United Nations agency providing humanitarian assistance to Palestine, after suspicions that members of the organization were involved with Hamas.
The British government announced on January 27 that it would stop funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), after expressing concerns about the suspected involvement of many members of the organization in a Hamas raid on Israel in October 2023.
"The UK government is appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. This is a heinous act that the UK government has repeatedly condemned," the British Foreign Office said.
Israel previously said it had sent investigative documents to UNRWA accusing at least 12 of the organization's staff of participating in the Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 people.
UNRWA Director Philippe Lazzarini acknowledged receiving the file from Israel, immediately terminating the contracts of the accused staff and launching an internal investigation. Lazzarini did not specify the allegations or the number of staff fired, but affirmed that legal proceedings would be initiated if they were found to have committed any wrongdoing.
UNRWA Director Philippe Lazzarini speaks in Geneva, Switzerland on December 13, 2023. Photo: Reuters
Following the announcement from UNRWA, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller announced that Washington has decided to withhold further funding for the agency until the matter is resolved. The US government has also not ruled out additional measures against UNRWA, depending on the outcome of the investigation.
Four other countries, including Australia, Canada, Italy and Finland, have followed the US in suspending funding to UNRWA. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has stated that he does not want UNRWA to continue its presence and operations in the Gaza Strip after the war ends.
Josep Borrell, the European Union's top diplomat, said UNRWA had played a "vital role over many years in supporting vulnerable Palestinian refugees." While he did not announce a freeze on UNRWA funding, he called for "full transparency" and "urgent action" against those involved in the Hamas attack.
The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank on January 27 called on countries to resume funding and provide "maximum support" to UNRWA, warning of serious political and humanitarian consequences in the region if UNRWA does not have enough operating budget. A representative of the Hamas organization called on the United Nations and international organizations not to "bow down to threats and intimidation" from Israel.
Before the war broke out in the Gaza Strip, UNRWA often faced difficulties with its operating budget.
The US cut off funding to the organisation in 2018, during the Trump administration. Under President Joe Biden, the US resumed full support for UNRWA, providing $340 million in 2022 and becoming the agency’s largest donor.
Thanh Danh (According to Reuters, AFP )
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