UN chief urges US, UK, other countries not to suspend funding for relief agency in Gaza
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the US, UK, and several other countries on Sunday not to suspend funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), saying the desperate needs of the populations it serves must be met.
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“While I understand their concerns – I was myself horrified by these accusations - I strongly appeal to the governments that have suspended their contributions to, at least, guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations,” Guterres said in a statement released by his office.
“Meanwhile, 2 million civilians in Gaza depend on critical aid from UNRWA for daily survival but UNRWA’s current funding will not allow it to meet all requirements to support them in February,” he said.
“The abhorrent alleged acts of these staff members must have consequences. But the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized,” he said.
UNRWA said it terminated contracts with several employees for alleged involvement in the Oct. 7 attack on Israelis.
The US, UK, Italy, Australia, Canada, Finland, and the Netherlands decided to suspend funding to UNRWA following claims by Israel on Friday.
Norway welcomed investigations of some staffers but said it would continue to support Palestinians via UNRWA.
Ireland also announced it would not suspend funding to the UN agency.
The organization “is taking swift action following the extremely serious allegations” against several UNRWA staff members, Guterres said.
“An investigation by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was immediately activated,” he stressed.
“Of the 12 people implicated, nine were immediately identified and terminated by the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini; one is confirmed dead, and the identity of the two others is being clarified,” he said.
Any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution, the statement said.
“The Secretariat is ready to cooperate with a competent authority able to prosecute the individuals in line with the Secretariat’s normal procedures for such cooperation,” he underlined.
Earlier on Jan.7, the UN agency announced “a full, independent review of the organization.”
Despite a provisional ruling Friday by the ICJ that ordered Tel Aviv to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, Israel continued its onslaught against the coastal enclave where at least 26,422 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 65,087 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
A top official of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Saturday called on the US and Canada to reverse the suspension of new funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Anadolu Agency reports.
“We call on the countries that announced the cessation of their support for UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision,” said Hussein al-Sheikh, the secretary-general of the PLO.
He said the suspension “entails great political and humanitarian relief risks, as at this particular time and in light of the continuing aggression against the Palestinian people, we need the maximum support for this international organization and not stopping support and assistance to it.”
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said that the “Israeli incitement against UNRWA is a premeditated campaign, with premature judgments aiming to settle the refugees issue and their rights.”
Without naming the US and Canada, the ministry urged “some countries to reconsider their actions against UNRWA, considering them preemptive to investigations and a violation of its humanitarian relief authorities and duties.”
Earlier on Saturday, the US and Canada announced the temporary suspension of new funding to UNRWA, following Israel’s accusation that some of the agency’s employees participated in the attack launched by the Hamas movement on Oct. 7.
On Friday, UN chief Antonio Guterres asked for a “swift” investigation of the Israeli allegations against the UN agency employees.
UNRWA was not only the UN agency targeted by Israel but also the World Health Organization (WHO).
Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.
Flouting the International Court of Justice’s provisional ruling, Israel continues its onslaught on the Gaza Strip where at least 26,257 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 64,797 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
