2024-01-28 12:47:18
While several countries suspended their financial support to UNRWA after accusations against employees of having participated in Hamas’ deadly attacks against civilians on October 7, the Secretary General of the United Nations urged this Sunday to “at less guarantee » the continuation of operations, essential to the survival of two million people.
Since Friday evening, twelve members of this humanitarian program created in 1949 after the first Arab-Israeli war to help Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and which employs 27,000 people, have been specifically suspected of having participated in the events of October 7.
Nine were dismissed from their duties, one died, and the identity of the other two is being clarified according to the UN, to which Israel had transmitted information. The Jewish state demands that UNRWA no longer play any role in the Gaza Strip. On Saturday, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland joined the United States, Australia and Canada in suspending funding to the humanitarian agency.
In a press release this Sunday morning, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that France “in particular contributed to the actions of UNRWA in 2023 to the tune of nearly 60 million euros and “has not planned any new payment to the first half of this year. Paris “will decide when the time comes what action to take in conjunction with the United Nations and the main donors, ensuring that all its requirements for transparency and security of aid are taken into account,” the press release further notes. . The city of Marseille also suspended a payment of 80,000 euros, pending the conclusions of the investigation.
The program does not have a UN budget; its financing relies on voluntary contributions, 95% of which are paid by Western countries. In 2022, the largest donors were the United States, Germany and the European Union, which alone paid 400 million euros. In 2018, when he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Donald Trump, then President of the United States, cut subsidies to the UN agency. Joe Biden reinstated them recently, after the State Department congratulated UNRWA for its work with the populations, a godsend for the Republicans launched with great success in the American presidential campaign.
“Two million civilians in Gaza depend on critical aid from UNRWA”
“While I understand their concerns – I myself have been horrified by these accusations – I strongly call on governments that have suspended their contributions to at least guarantee the continuity of UNRWA operations,” Guterres said. “Two million civilians in Gaza depend on UNRWA’s critical assistance for their daily survival, but UNRWA’s current funding will not allow it to meet all needs in February,” he insisted. .
“There must be consequences for the alleged despicable actions of these employees. But the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for aid workers, should not be penalized. We must respond to the urgent needs of the desperate populations they care for,” added the Secretary General in a press release.
An investigation has been opened internally and Guterres has made a strong commitment to hold accountable “any UN employee involved in acts of terrorism, including through criminal prosecution”. Furthermore, “an urgent and comprehensive independent evaluation of UNRWA will be carried out,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric pledged yesterday.
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