The head of the UN meets this Tuesday in New York with the agency's “major donors” for the Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)in the spotlight since accusations that 12 employees were involved in the Hamas attack on October 7 in Israel, its spokesman announced this Monday.
“On a personal note, the Secretary-General is appalled by the allegations against UNRWA employees,” his spokesperson told reporters. Stephane Dujarric.
But “his message to donors, particularly those who have suspended their contributions, is to at least ensure the continuity of the agency's operations since we have tens of thousands of people who work with dedication in the region,” he said.
The secretary general, Antonio Guterresalready met on Monday with “the permanent representative of the United States at the UN”, the ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and on Tuesday afternoon he will meet “with UNRWA's main donors,” according to Dujarric.
Guterres is “engaged with UNWRA leadership and donors as well as regional leaders such as King Abadallah II of Jordan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi” with whom he spoke on Monday.
In the besieged and devastated territory of the Gaza StripUNWRA, which provides vital aid to civilians, is in trouble after accusations of the alleged involvement of 12 employees (of the 30,000 in the region) in the bloody attack carried out on October 7 by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas against Israel , which triggered the war.
Eleven countries – including United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan– have suspended their funding to the agency, despite Guterres asking over the weekend that they maintain the aid.
On Monday, the European Union asked UNRWA to “agree to an audit being carried out by independent experts chosen by the European Commission.”
The head of Israeli diplomacy, Israel Katz, canceled a meeting scheduled for Wednesday with the commissioner general of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, and asked for his resignation on the social network X.
Dujarric insisted that “any employee involved in a terrorist act will be held accountable, including through criminal action,” but “at this point, the prospects for UNWRA and the millions of people it helps – not just in Gaza, but also in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria – are very grim.
AFP
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