– I am glad that the UN has conducted the investigation of the UN organization for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), and that UNRWA is taking the necessary measures and dismissing those who may have been involved, says Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
– The investigation showed that 9 out of the 19 employees who were accused may have been involved in the terrorist attack against Israel on October 7 last year. There is to be zero tolerance for participating in terrorist activities.
– We have always said that it is unacceptable to punish an entire organization with 30,000 employees, and through them millions of Palestinian refugees, for accusations against a few of the organization’s employees. Therefore, Norway has maintained support for UNRWA and consistently advocated for UNRWA’s case to other donor countries. It is positive that almost all the countries that halted their contributions to UNRWA have resumed support.
– Norway will continue to support UNRWA and the work that this UN organization carries out. UNRWA is the backbone of the humanitarian work for millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, and in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
– UNRWA is also much more than a humanitarian organization. It derives its mandate from the UN General Assembly and is the international community’s commitment to Palestinian refugees and their rights, says Eide.