Following the allegations concerning the involvement of 12 United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) employees in the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, multiple nations, including the U.S., are suspending funding to the main UN agency aiding Palestinian refugees in Gaza.
Details remain scarce to the public, but Israeli officials have shared specific information on the 12 individuals with both UNRWA and the U.S., giving them “specific names and which organizations they are affiliated with, whether Hamas or PIJ (Palestinian Islamic Jihad) or others, and what exactly they did on October 7.”
The U.S. was UNWRA’s largest funder in 2022, contributing $344 million in a single year. This year however, a U.S. press statement on January 26 states that the funding pause will last while they “review these allegations and the steps the United Nations is taking to address them,” and emphasizes that UNRWA must take appropriate action, including any corrective measures and review its policies and procedures. The U. S. “will remain in close contact with the United Nations and Government of Israel regarding this matter.”
Along with the U.S. State Department’s statement announcing the temporary pause on funding to UNRWA, many countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, and Japan have also suspended funding.
According to the UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA has terminated the contracts of the accused staff members and launched an investigation into the allegations. As much of the funding for UNRWA has paused, Lazzarini says the agency may struggle to continue life-saving operations to support more than 2 million people in Gaza who heavily rely on the organization. He urges countries that have suspended funding to reconsider before UNRWA is forced to cease operations, saying that the lives of people in Gaza “depend on this support and so does regional stability.” Lazzarini said that it would be “immensely irresponsible to sanction an agency and an entire community it serves because of allegations of criminal acts against some individuals, especially at a time of war, displacement and political crises in the region.”
From my perspective, causing a shutdown of UNRWA on short notice is questionable at such a sensitive time because the aid provided by the agency is too crucial to not have a devastating impact if its operations were to cease. While it is necessary to appropriately address the allegations and formally review the organization’s procedures, UNRWA is undeniably supporting millions of people in need. According to U.N. and Israeli officials, “No U.N. agency would be equipped to quickly take over from Unrwa in Gaza while the conflict continues.”
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1 comment:
I agree that shutting down the UNRWA would be pretty devastating, as it seems they have done important work to help with relief. I think that for sure, the 12 people who have allegations against them shouldn’t be permitted to work while their cases are being reviewed. However, I hope that the US isn’t throwing away a good thing just because 12 people might have made bad decisions.
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