The head of the UN, Antonio Guterresrequested that the continuation of its operations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), after a controversy linked to the Hamas attacks in October 7 led several states to suspend their funding. Twelve UNRWA members have been accused of participating in the October 7 attacks on Israel that sparked war in the Gaza Strip.
United States of America announced on Friday the temporary suspension of funding to the agency, a decision that was later followed Australia, Canada, Italy, United Kingdom, Finland, Holland AND Germany. The French government announced on Saturday that it «does not foresee» a new donation of funds to the United Nations agency. “France currently does not foresee a new contribution in the first half of 2024 and, at the appropriate time, will decide this in collaboration with the UN and major donors, provided that all necessary conditions are met. transparency and security requirements«, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Related news
The UN Secretary-General on Saturday urged «governments that have suspended contributions to at least ensure continuity of operations “Two million Gaza civilians depend on essential aid from UNRWA for their daily survival, but current UNRWA funding will not cover all their needs in February,” he insisted. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said on Sunday that «intense fighting» continued into Palestinian territory and eliminated “terrorists” and seized “large quantities of weapons.”
Criticism of the Palestinian Authority
Regarding the failure of the countries to finance the UN project, on Sunday the Presidency of the Palestinian Authority condemned the «unjust campaign» against the agency, currently the subject of a «collective punishment» after several countries temporarily suspended their funding to the organization upon learning that many of its employees may have been involved in the October 7 attack on Israel. This “campaign”, the Palestinian presidency assures in a statement, has no other objective than “resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees«, in contradiction to the UN resolutions that structure the functioning of the agency, according to the note collected by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
