Our services in Gaza may stop within a month – Watan News

2024-01-29 12:27:16

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International Arab

January 29, 2024

Watan Al-Youm: A spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warned on Monday that the UN agency’s services in the Gaza Strip would stop within a month.
“If funding is not resumed, we will not be able to continue our services and operations across the region, including Gaza, after the end of February,” the spokesman said.

“European demand for urgent audit”
For its part, the European Union called on Monday for an “urgent” audit of the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) after Israel accused employees of the United Nations agency of involvement in the attack launched by Hamas on Israel on October 7.
The bloc’s spokesman, Eric Mamer, said, “We are asking them (UNRWA) to agree to conduct an audit by independent experts chosen by the European Commission.”

11 countries withdrew
In addition, today, Monday, Romania and Austria joined about 9 other countries that preceded them in halting funding for this United Nations organization, after Israeli allegations that 12 of its employees participated in a surprise Hamas attack on Israeli settlements and military bases in the Gaza Strip 4 months ago.
Romania and Austria thus join the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia, Canada, Japan, France, and other countries in halting funding for this relief agency, which constitutes an important source of support for the people of Gaza.

9 employees fired
Note that the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, announced yesterday that he had dismissed 9 of the “accused” employees in order to investigate them, but at the same time he stressed the need to continue supporting the agency.

“Lifeline may collapse”
He also warned that more than two million people in Gaza depend on the organization to survive, pointing out that about 3,000 basic employees out of 13,000 in Gaza are still “working to give their communities a lifeline that could collapse at any time now.” Due to lack of funding.”
However, Israel announced that it would prevent the agency, which was established in 1949, from continuing to work in Gaza after the end of the war.