Germany resumes UNRWA support

Germany’s payments to the UN Palestinian Relief Agency have been on hold for almost a month. The background was allegations against UNRWA employees of being involved in the Hamas attack on Israel. Now the money should flow again.

Germany wants to resume its support for the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA. Payments to the aid organization were stopped after allegations emerged that employees could have been involved in the attack on Israel by the terrorist militia Hamas.

The announcement by the Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development that they would resume support came two days after a UN commission of inquiry their report on the Palestinian Relief Organization had submitted. After the allegations became known, the expert panel examined the UN body’s mechanisms and procedures, which are intended to guarantee compliance with the principles of neutrality.

The commission’s investigation, led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, concluded that UNRWA did have problems maintaining neutrality. A series of reforms are intended to guarantee a more neutral work by the aid organization in the future.

Germany calls for reforms to be implemented

In the Statement from the Foreign Office and the Federal Development Ministry it says that the experts’ report is welcomed and that the reforms envisaged in it must be implemented “quickly and in full”. The Commission of Inquiry calls, among other things, for more detailed scrutiny of UNRWA employees and better protection of the aid agency’s facilities from abusive military use.

“Against this background and in conjunction with these reforms, the Federal Government will shortly continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza,” the statement published on the Federal Foreign Office website continues.

Several states stopped payments

The allegations against the aid organization became known at the end of January. Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner General, said that Israel had provided the agency with information that several employees were involved in the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. More than 1,100 people were killed in the attack and around 250 people were taken hostage by the terrorist militia.

The United Nations immediately announced an intensive review of the allegations. In addition to Germany, several countries stopped their payments to the aid organization, including the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, France, Finland and Italy. However, some of these countries have already resumed their support, such as Sweden, Australia, Canada and Japan.

“By continuing the acute cooperation, we are supporting UNRWA’s vital and currently irreplaceable role in providing care for the people in Gaza, because other international aid organizations are also currently dependent on UNRWA’s operational structures in Gaza,” said the Foreign Office . Last year, Germany supported UNRWA, which is also active in countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, with more than 200 million euros.