Norway transfers 24 million euros to UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees

The Norwegian Government announced this Wednesday that it has transferred 275 million crowns (24 million euros) to the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) due to the worsening humanitarian situation.

“The war in Gaza started four months ago today. The situation is catastrophic. All essential things are missing and people face daily threats to their lives and safety. UNRWA is the backbone of humanitarian efforts in Gaza,” he said in a statement. statement by the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide.

The Norwegian Minister of International Development, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, pointed out in the same writing that The people of Gaza “are starving”, medical services “have collapsed” and “many are dying of infectious diseases and the lack of medical care.

Most donor countries have suspended funding to UNRWA in recent weeks following accusations by Israel that twelve of its members collaborated in the attack that Hamas launched on October 7 last year, with more than 1,200 dead and nearly of 250 hostages who were taken to Gaza.

Eide described the accusations as “shocking” and urged that there be “total transparency” and “zero tolerance” for such acts, but maintained support for Norway's UNRWA, which acted as a mediator between the parties to the Oslo Accords. of 1993.

“We should not collectively punish millions of people for the alleged misconduct of twelve employees. I urge all donors who have suspended their support to think about the consequences. The situation is serious not only for the people of Gaza, but for Palestinians throughout the Middle East,” Eide said.

The Spanish Government had reiterated two days ago that it maintains its support for UNRWA and that it will mobilize an urgent allocation of 3.5 million euros to maintain its activities in the short term.

EFE