UN agency for Palestinians slams shocking suspension of funds by several Western countries| Oneindia

8 months ago

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees strongly criticised the "shocking" withdrawal of funding by several countries on Saturday (Jan 27). This move came after Israel accused some of the agency's employees of involvement in the October 7 attack by Hamas. In response, the UN chief, on Sunday (Jan 28), called on donor states to "ensure the continuity" of funds to UNRWA.

#UNRWA #FundingSuspension #IsraelHamasConflict #PalestinianAid #WesternCountries #InternationalRelations #HumanitarianCrisis #GlobalSupport #UNAgency #MiddleEastTensions #PoliticalDecision #FundsFreeze #DiplomaticImpact #HumanRightsConcerns #PeaceBuilding #CrisisResponse #UNSupport #AidForPalestine #FundingDilemma #GlobalSolidarity

UNRWA, Funding Withdrawal, Israel-Hamas War, October 7 Attack, UN Chief, Palestinian Refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, Collective Punishment, Independent Review, Sustained Bombardments, Ground Operations, Humanitarian Crisis, Donor States, European Countries, Palestinian Enclave, Middle East Tensions, Accusations, Transparent Investigation, Western Countries, Political Decision, Conflict Resolution, Global Solidarity, Human Rights Concerns, Palestinian Aid
~HT.292~GR.123~PR.152~

Transcript

00:00 The United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees strongly criticized the shocking

00:08 withdrawal of funding by several countries on January 27.

00:12 This move came after Israel accused some of the agency's employees of involvement in

00:17 the October 7 attack by Hamas.

00:19 In response, the UN chief on Sunday, January 28, called on donor states to ensure the continuity

00:25 of funds to UNRWA.

00:27 It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the agency in reaction to allegations against

00:32 a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating

00:38 their contracts and asking for a transparent, independent investigation, said UN Relief

00:43 and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees and the Near East chief, Philippe Lazzarini,

00:48 in a statement.

00:49 "Palestinians in Gaza did not need this additional collective punishment," the UNRWA chief added

00:54 on X and said, "This stains all of us."

00:58 On January 26, UNRWA announced the termination of several employees based on the information

01:03 provided by Israeli authorities regarding their alleged involvement.

01:06 UN chief Antonio Guterres has initiated an urgent and comprehensive independent review

01:11 of UNRWA, as confirmed by his spokesperson, Stephanie Djaric.

01:16 The October 7 attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel resulted in the tragic

01:20 loss of 1,200 lives, primarily civilians, with around 240 individuals taken as hostages

01:25 to Gaza, according to Israeli officials.

01:27 Reportedly, more than 100 people remain in Hamas captivity.

01:30 In response, Israel launched sustained bombardments and ground operations in the Palestinian enclave,

01:36 resulting in the unfortunate death of over 26,000 people, predominantly women and children,

01:43 according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

01:45 As of Saturday, six European countries, namely the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland

01:50 and Finland, have joined the US, Australia and Canada in temporarily pausing funding

01:55 to the UN aid agency.

01:57 Germany, the latest European country to suspend funding, stated that until the accusations

02:02 are clarified, they, along with other donor countries, would withhold approval for further

02:06 resources, according to the foreign ministry's statement on Saturday.

02:10 Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz, accusing UNRWA of ties with Islamist militants in Gaza,

02:15 suggested its replacement once the conflict in the enclave subsides.

02:19 The UNRWA plays a crucial role in the Palestinian enclave, providing education, health and aid

02:24 services to two-thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million population.

02:28 The decision to suspend funding by some Western countries has been criticized by several top

02:32 Palestinian officials and Hamas, warning of a greater risk.

02:36 The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned what it described as an Israeli campaign against

02:40 UNRWA.

02:41 [music]

UN agency for Palestinians slams shocking suspension of funds by several Western countries| Oneindia

Category

Transcript

Recommended