Sweden and Canada resume payments to UN agency for Palestinians
Canada and Sweden are resuming funding for the main United Nations agency supporting Palestinian refugees in Gaza, citing the widening humanitarian catastrophe there and saying the agency has taken steps to improve accountability amid allegations that some of its employees had ties to Hamas.
The countries were among more than a dozen that suspended payments to the aid group United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, known as UNRWA, following accusations in January by Israel that a dozen of its 13,000 employees in Gaza had been involved in the acts of terrorism. October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel or their aftermath.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was “a serious mistake” by the two countries to restart funding for the UN agency. “It constitutes tacit consent and encouragement on the part of the governments of Canada and Sweden to continue to ignore the involvement of UNRWA employees in terrorist activities,” the statement said.
UNRWA has argued that Israel has attacked the country with a “deliberate and coordinated campaign” to undermine its operations when its services are most needed. Warnings of widespread hunger bordering on famine have become more urgent, and signs of desperation are increasing as people resort to consuming livestock feed or ambushing aid trucks.
In a government statement on Saturday, Sweden said it would make a conditional first payment of about $20 million. It said UNRWA had agreed to allow independent audits and strengthen internal oversight.
“In this urgent situation, where the need among the civilian population is so great, it is first and foremost important to save lives,” the statement said.
Canadian officials said Friday that they had received an interim report from the United Nations internal agency investigating the claims, and that the agency had taken immediate steps to improve accountability. The United Nations has also ordered an external investigation.
The European Union, one of UNRWA’s biggest donors, announced last week that it would substantially increase funding for the organization, saying Palestinians faced terrible conditions and should not pay for Hamas’ crimes. The first tranche of 50 million euros, about $54 million, was due to be paid this week.
The United States has said it will wait for the results of a U.N. investigation before deciding whether to resume donations. The United States is the agency’s largest donor, pledging $344 million in 2022.
Canadian officials said UNRWA plays a “critical role” in providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza’s 2.2 million citizens, and that other organizations relied on the long-standing organization’s expertise and infrastructure.
The international community is under increasing pressure to take action to alleviate the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. UNRWA officials have said that without a reversal of donor countries’ suspensions, which cost the organization some $450 million in funding, the organization would soon run out of reserves.
The United States and other countries announced plans this week to try to get aid by sea to northern Gaza via the Mediterranean coast. In recent weeks, countries have sent aid via airdrops attached to parachutes.
Israel has claimed that at least 10 percent of UNRWA staff in Gaza have ties to Palestinian armed groups and that employees’ ties to Hamas fundamentally endanger the organization. In a proposal for Gaza’s post-war governance, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel last month included a call to close UNRWA and replace it “with responsible international aid organizations.”
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, said this week that he had received no additional information supporting Israel’s allegations after they were initially presented to him in January, but that the agency had immediately terminated the contracts of staff members accused of involvement in the October 10th. 7 attacks due to the seriousness of the accusation.
Aaron Bokserman contributed reporting from Jerusalem.