Estonia and Japan joined nine other nations in suspending funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in the wake of allegations that 12 of its staff members had participated in the Hamas-led October 7 massacre.
“Concerning the recent very serious allegations against @UNRWA, Estonia will not continue with the funding of the organization,” Estonian Foreign Minister Tsahkna wrote in a post on X on Sunday.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry said it was “extremely concerned by the allegations” and that it was suspending any new funding to UNRWA pending completion of an investigation.
Their statements followed suspensions by Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Iceland.
At issue is at least $363 million in pledged funds for UNRWA towards its budget of upward of $1.6 billion for the 5.9 million Palestinian refugees it services in Gaza, the West Bank, east Jerusalem, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Aside from basic food supplies, UNRWA also provides education and health care services.
UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has said that the bulk of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is serviced in one way or another by the agency, a service that is particularly vital in light of the war.
UN is urging donor countries not to suspend funding
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged donor countries not to suspend funding.“Two million civilians in Gaza depend on critical aid from UNRWA for daily survival but UNRWA’s current funding will not allow it to meet all requirements to support them in February.
“While I understand their concerns – I was myself horrified by these accusations – I strongly appeal to the governments that have suspended their contributions to, at least, guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations.
“The abhorrent alleged acts of these staff members must have consequences. But the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized. The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met,” Guterres stated.
Israel submitted its allegation to UNRWA privately at the end of last week and did not make the information public.
Upon receiving the complaint, Lazzarini immediately fired nine of the staff members involved. Guterres said that one of the staff members “is confirmed dead” and the identity of the two others is being clarified.”
He noted that the UN took “swift action following the extremely serious allegations” and that “an investigation by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was immediately activated.”
“Any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution. The Secretariat is ready to cooperate with a competent authority able to prosecute the individuals in line with the Secretariat’s normal procedures for such cooperation,” Guterres stated.
“UNRWA had also previously announced a full, independent review of the organization on 17 January,” he said.Responding to Guterres’ statement, Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan called on all donor states to suspend their support and demand an in-depth investigation into “the involvement of all UNRWA employees in terror.”
He added in a statement that Guterres’s appeal for continued funding for the agency had “proven once again that the security of the citizens of Israel is not really important for him.”
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy told Reuters that to his knowledge the intelligence that led the US to cut off its funding had not yet been declassified, but that an Israeli briefing would be dedicated to this topic later in the week.
Observers and aid workers said the move by the donors would exacerbate hunger.
“Donors, do not starve children for the sins of a few individual aid workers,” said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
A UN-appointed expert on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, warned that the funding cuts meant that famine was now “inevitable” in Gaza.
Even before the conflict, UNRWA was struggling to secure funding and warned that it was on the verge of collapse. Many of its 13,000 staff members are refugees themselves and at least 150 have been killed since the Israel-Hamas conflict began.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said he was “surprised” by the move to pause UNRWA funding and said it would lead to more suffering for Palestinians. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also urged countries that had paused funding to reconsider their move.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of leading an oppressive campaign against the agency. “The campaign aims to liquidate the issue of Palestinian refugees,” he said in a statement.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the Israeli accusations against UNRWA were a challenge to the International Court of Justice’s decision on Friday that ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza. Norway and Ireland said they would continue funding the agency.
“While I share the concern over the very serious allegations against some UNRWA staff, Norway has decided to continue its funding. UNRWA is a lifeline for millions of people in deep distress in Gaza as well as in the wider region,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said on X, formerly Twitter.
UNRWA’s role has long been criticized by Israel which alleges it has supported Hamas for years, an allegation the agency denies.
The Israeli Right has for years called for UNRWA to be abolished, charging that its educational material incites against Israel and that it’s structured to create an ever-expanding refugee population rather than eliminating the refugee status.
UNRWA has long refuted allegations of incitement, explaining that it deals swiftly with them when they arise. It has explained that its mandate is set by the UN General Assembly and that it is responding to the geo-political reality in which it operates.
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