New York (Union)
A review of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced that the agency has strong frameworks to ensure compliance with the principles of humanitarian neutrality, despite the existing problems.
The report stated, “It may prompt some donors to review the funding freeze, as Israel has not yet provided evidence to support its claim that a large number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organizations.”
The United Nations appointed former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to lead the neutrality review of UNRWA in February after Israel claimed that 12 employees of the agency participated in the October 7 attack.
In a separate investigation, a United Nations oversight body is looking into the accusations against the 12 UNRWA employees.
The report stated that “Israel made public allegations, based on a list of UNRWA employees provided to it in March, that a large number of the agency’s employees are members of terrorist organizations.”
She added, “But Israel has not yet provided supporting evidence for this.”
In turn, a United Nations spokesman said yesterday that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres accepted the recommendations of the independent review of UNRWA’s work.
The spokesman added that the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, with the support of Guterres, intends to develop an action plan to implement the recommendations, continuing: “The Secretary-General calls on all countries to support UNRWA effectively, as it is a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region.”
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