4 European Countries Continue Funding to UNRWA

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - At least 16 countries have suspended their funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees, or UNRWA, after Israel accused 12 of the agency's 13,000 Gaza workers of taking part in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in southern Israel. The sixteen countries include top donors such as the United States and Germany.

The claim comes as Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice and after years of calls for the agency to be disbanded. However, these four European countries are determined to continue funding for UNRWA.

Belgium

Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter affirmed on Feb. 1 that Belgium would continue to fund the UNRWA. “Belgium will continue to fund UNRWA. The agency is irreplaceable in providing urgent and crucial humanitarian relief within Gaza,” De Sutter said on X.

She also said that Belgium would be closely watching the UN internal investigation into the Israeli accusation and urged UNRWA to be completely transparent.

Norway

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide announced on Feb. 7, that the government would transfer approximately US$26 million to the UNRWA to help Palestinian refugees.

“I am pleased that we are able to transfer NOK 275 million ($26 million) today to the organization’s efforts to assist Palestinian refugees,” Eide said in a statement, adding that the funds would go to UNRWA’s efforts to help 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

“It is completely out of the question for Norway to back out of this commitment, at a time when Gaza is essentially in ruins,” he stressed.

Spanish

Spain Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told lawmakers on Feb. 5, that the government would transfer an additional 3.5 million euros or US$3.8 million in aid to the UNRWA.

“UNRWA's situation is desperate and there is a serious risk that its humanitarian activities will be paralyzed in Gaza within a few weeks,” Albares said.

Madrid contributed about 18.5 million euros to UNRWA in 2023, including 10 million euros in December as the lawmakers approved the plan to triple development and humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territories.

Portugal

Portugal's acting government confirmed that it would keep funding the UNRWA and would transfer an additional one million euros, despite Israeli accusations. “UNRWA's work is very important and that is why we will continue to support UNRWA,” said Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho on Feb. 2.

The ‘special contribution’ was added to the four million announced at the end of 2023 and already distributed.

Gomes Cravinho said he had met with UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and was “completely confident and satisfied with the explanations” provided by him, “especially since this is not something structural within UNRWA.”

IDA ROSDALINA | REUTERS | AL MAYADEEN | ANADOLU

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