Stockholm (Union)
Sweden and Canada announced yesterday that they will resume their support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), as the investigation continues into allegations of the involvement of some of the agency’s employees in the October 7 attack against Israel.
Sweden said it would resume its assistance with an initial amount of $20 million, after obtaining guarantees that additional investigations would be conducted into the agency’s spending and staff.
Like several other countries, Sweden and Canada suspended their aid to UNRWA after Israel claimed that 12 of the agency's employees were involved in the October 7 attack.
The agency immediately terminated the contracts of the accused employees and began an internal investigation. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, also assigned an independent group, headed by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, to evaluate UNRWA and its political neutrality.
The Swedish government said, in a statement, that it “allocated 400 million kroner to UNRWA for the year 2024,” adding: “The decision relates to a first payment of 200 million kroner.”
She indicated that in order to release the aid package, UNRWA agreed to “allow independent controls and audits, to enhance internal supervision and additional controls on employees.”
The Swedish announcement came after the European Commission announced at the beginning of this month that it would disburse 50 million euros to support UNRWA before the potential release of an additional 32 million.
For its part, the Canadian government officially confirmed that it intends to resume its funding for UNRWA.
Development Minister Ahmed Hussein said in a statement yesterday that Canada decided to resume making financial payments to the relief organization as a result of the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.”
He pointed out that UNRWA's efforts to address the allegations against some of its employees and to implement measures to improve monitoring and accountability were recognized.
He added that Canada will continue to work closely with the relief organization and the United Nations to achieve reforms. UNRWA employs about 30,000 people in the occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, and about 13,000 in the Gaza Strip.
For his part, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA expressed “cautious optimism” about the resumption of international financial support for the agency.
In an interview with the Swiss channel RTS, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that he was “cautiously optimistic” about the decision of “a number of donors” to resume funding for the agency “in the next few weeks,” especially “after the publication of Catherine Colonna’s report.”
He added: “I also believe that a number of other countries will actually increase their contributions to the agency.”
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