For many years, UNRWA has operated networks of colleges, medical services and different providers round Gaza and the West Bank, in addition to in neighboring Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
The United Nations company for Palestinian refugees mentioned the Swedish authorities’s choice to finish “fundamental assist” was disappointing.
In a submit on X, UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini mentioned Stockholm’s announcement “comes on the worst time for Palestinian refugees.”
“This is a tragic day for Palestinian refugees and for the multilateral system that Sweden leads,” he wrote.
“Defunding UNRWA now will undermine Sweden’s many years of funding in human improvement, together with by denying entry to schooling to a whole lot of 1000’s of women and boys throughout the area.”
The Swedish authorities mentioned on Friday it should enhance humanitarian funding for the area to 800 million crowns (€69.3 million) subsequent yr, however that these funds could be distributed via different channels, such because the Swedish Agency for International Development Cooperation.
Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa instructed native media that the choice was taken in response to the Israeli Knesset’s vote to bar UNRWA from working in its territory, saying the ban would make it too troublesome to channel assist to UNRWA.
“Swedish assist should arrive and never get caught in a checking account alongside the best way. Due to Israel’s choice within the Knesset, we’re subsequently pressured to switch assist to different organizations comparable to WFP, UNICEF and others,” he mentioned in a submit on X.
Sweden supplied 451 million crowns (€39 million) to UNRWA this yr.
In October, the Israeli parliament handed a regulation banning UNRWA actions within the Palestinian territories, a measure that’s anticipated to take impact on the finish of January.
Israel has lengthy been at odds with UNRWA, accusing the company of turning a blind eye to militants on its employees and permitting teams comparable to Hamas to make use of their buildings as secret bases.
UNRWA has denied all these allegations.
Israel additionally mentioned some UNRWA employees have been instantly concerned within the Hamas incursion into southern Israel in October final yr, which sparked the battle in Gaza.
Such claims prompted a number of international locations to droop funding to UNRWA, and after an investigation by the UN oversight physique, UNRWA terminated the contracts of 9 workers it deemed “could have been concerned” within the ‘assault.
For many years, UNRWA has operated networks of colleges, medical services and different providers round Gaza and the West Bank, in addition to in neighboring Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
In Gaza particularly, it performs an essential function in sustaining social providers and the financial system, being the territory’s important employer and the supply of schooling and healthcare for a lot of the inhabitants.
ANNOUNCEMENTIt offers help to just about six million Palestinian refugees throughout the area.
