Boost for UNRWA as UK decides to restore funding
Humanitarian Aid
The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees UNRWA welcomed the decision by the United Kingdom on Friday to resume funding of the agency “at a critical time, as the agency continues to come under harsh and unprecedented attacks”.
Sixteen countries pulled funding from the UN agency in January worth $450 million following unproven allegations from Israel that a dozen staff had been involved in the Hamas-led terror attacks on southern Israel on 7 October in which some 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage.
Independent review
The UK’s Foreign Secretary in the new Labour Government David Lammy made the announcement to MPs signalling the first significant shift from the previous Conservative administration’s stance on the Gaza crisis.
Mr. Lammy told the House of Commons he had been appalled at the allegations of UNRWA involvement in the attacks but had been reassured following an independent review of the allegations carried out at the Secretary-General’s request by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna. She reported that Israel had provided no evidence to back up their claims.
The Foreign Secretary said UNRWA had taken steps now to ensure it meets “the highest standards of neutrality.”
Immediate cash infusion
The UK will now reportedly provide some $27 million in funding for UNRWA to be spent on food, shelter and other emergency humanitarian supplies in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
When the allegations against the agency were first made, Britain joined the US and many others in suspending funding but the US now stands alone in continuing to withhold cash for UNRWA – the chief provider and distributer of aid across the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Friday’s online post by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini highlighted the “lifesaving and human development work” of the agency’s teams who represent the main aid provider for millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the region.
Mr. Lazzarini also reiterated his commitment to implementing the 50 recommendations of the independent report headed by Ms. Colonna.
Last week at a major pledging conference for UNRWA where a resounding commitment to the agency was expressed by 118 Member States, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that without more funding, Palestine refugees "will lose a critical lifeline and the last ray of hope for a better future."
"Let me be clear", he added. "There is no alternative to UNRWA."