UNRWA chief criticizes Sweden's "disappointing" move to halt funding

Sweden has announced it will stop funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and will instead increase its overall humanitarian aid to Gaza through other avenues. This decision has been criticized by the agency's leader, News.az reports citing Al Jazeera.

Israel, which said it will ban UNRWA operations in the country from late January, has alleged that 19 employees from the agency were involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel.

After an investigation by the UN’s oversight body, the UN terminated nine UNRWA employees it found “may have been involved” in the attack.

Sweden’s decision was made in response to the Israeli ban because it will make channelling aid via UNRWA more difficult, Swedish International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Minister Benjamin Dousa told Swedish broadcaster TV4.

Sweden plans to increase its overall humanitarian assistance to Gaza next year to 800 million Swedish kronor ($72.44m) from 451 million Swedish kronor ($41m) spent this year, its Foreign Ministry said.

Aid will flow via several organisations, including the UN World Food Programme, UNICEF, the UN Population Fund and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the ministry added.

The new Israeli law does not directly ban UNRWA’s operations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza but it will have a severe impact on UNRWA’s ability to work. Top UN officials described UNRWA as the backbone of Gaza’s aid response.

News.Az