Young activists in Gaza have conducted many volunteer campaigns to alleviate the suffering of displaced people in UNRWA schools. (Photo: via Social Media)
By Palestine Chronicle Staff
The UN special rapporteur on Palestine slammed on Saturday the decision by several countries to suspend funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
“The day after International Criminal Court (ICJ) concluded that Israel is plausibly committing Genocide in Gaza, some states decided to defund UN Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA,) collectively punishing millions of Palestinians at the most critical time, and most likely violating their obligations under the Genocide Convention,” Francesca Albanese wrote on X.
The day after @ICJ concluded that Israel is plausibly committing Genocide in Gaza, some states decided to defund UNRWA, collectively punishing millions of Palestinians at the most critical time, and most likely violating their obligations under the Genocide Convention. https://t.co/fl32DrDeFs
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) January 27, 2024
Germany, Britain, and Finland have joined other countries in pausing funding to the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), following Israeli allegations that some employees were involved in the October 7 military operation carried out by the Palestinian Resistance.
Following the US, Italy, Germany, Australia, and Canada, the UK and Finland have also decided to suspend funding to UNRWA.
Ireland on Saturday voiced support for investigating Israeli allegations, but said it will not pause funding for the agency’s Gaza work.
Meanwhile, the Israeli foreign minister called for UNRWA to be “replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development,” Reuters news agency reported.
In a social media post, Yisrael Katz also urged other countries to follow the example of the United States, Australia, Canada, Britain, Italy and Finland in pausing funding for UNRWA.
Despite a provisional ruling Friday by the ICJ that ordered Tel Aviv to prevent acts of genocide, Israel continued its onslaught against Gaza.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 26,422 Palestinians have been killed, and 65,087 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7. Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
(PC, Anadolu)
