Israel-Hamas war: Canada, Sweden to resume funding to UNRWA but still taking terror allegations seriously
File photo.
Canada and Sweden would resume funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) after the two countries received assurances of extra checks on the agency's spending and personnel. According to a report by the news agency Reuters on Saturday (Mar 9), Canadian International Aid Minister Ahmed Hussen said that Ottawa would be lifting its temporary pause on funding to the agency.
Hussen did not specify when the temporary pause would be lifted. "UNRWA plays a vital role in Gaza," he said. Canada paused funding on January 26 after Israel alleged that some UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas' October 7 attack last year.
On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that his government was waiting for the results of an internal United Nations probe into the Israeli allegations. Hussen said that Canada had reviewed the interim report of the investigation and looked forward to the final version.
'Taking allegations against UNRWA staff seriously'
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Sweden, meanwhile, announced on Saturday it too was resuming aid to the UNRWA with an initial disbursement of $20 million, a report by The Times of Israel said. “The government has allocated 400 million kronor to UNRWA for the year 2024. Today’s decision concerns a first payment of 200 million kronor,” Sweden said.
Despite agreeing to resume the funding to the cash-strapped UN agency, Ottawa and Stockholm were still taking terror allegations against the staff members seriously, the report added.
Also watch |UNRWA Row: UN releases report on Israeli accusations, accuses Israel of getting fake confessions
Israel condemned the decisions of the two countries. "...after having received the intelligence-based information about (UNRWA’s) employees who participated in the 7 October massacre and prior to the completion of the work of the investigative bodies and the publication of their findings is a serious mistake that constitutes tacit agreement and support by (Ottawa and Stockholm) to ignoring the involvement of UNRWA employees in terrorist activity,” the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement.
UNRWA at risk of death
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini earlier said that the agency was at risk of death and also at risk of dismantlement, after a total of 16 donors including the United States, paused funding following Israel's allegations.
In an interview with Swiss broadcaster RTS that was aired on Saturday, Lazzarini said that he was cautiously optimistic some donors would start funding it again within weeks.
"I am cautiously optimistic that within the next few weeks, and also following the publication of Catherine Colonna's report, a number of donors will return," he added.
(With inputs from agencies)