EU to Send Money Again to UN Group That Helps Palestinians
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Roshan Amiri
- . March 2, 2024
- . Update: March 2, 2024 4:31 pm
The European Union (EU) has announced it will resume sending funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). UNRWA provides aid to Palestinian refugees in Gaza and elsewhere in the region.
Last year, after allegations by Israel that some UNRWA staff were connected to an attack that killed over 1,200 Israelis, many of UNRWA’s donors halted funding to the agency. This included the EU as well as the United States and Germany, two of UNRWA’s biggest donors. UNRWA was left struggling to continue providing basic relief to Palestinians.
EU to Release Initial Funds, More Later
Now, after an investigation and negotiations, the EU feels comfortable providing funding to UNRWA once more. Next week, the EU will release 50 million euros, followed by another 32 million euros that will come in two future payments.
The decision comes after talks between the EU and UNRWA. The United Nations did its internal investigation into Israel’s allegations against some agency staff. Additionally, the EU is conducting an independent investigation using its experts. UNRWA’s leader assured the EU in writing that the organization was not involved in last year’s major attack in Israel. He also said all of UNRWA’s 13,000 employees in Gaza are being vetted.
EU Still Unsure Who to Blame for Gaza Problems
The EU’s 27 member countries do not agree on who is responsible for the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Germany acknowledges Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas attacks. But Germany also wants Israel to pause its military strikes temporarily to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Other EU countries like Spain and Ireland have directly criticized Israel’s military campaign, saying it violates human rights standards. They asked the EU to review whether Israel is complying with human rights in Gaza. The EU says it is looking into these concerns.
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When over 100 Palestinian civilians were killed last week while trying to reach an aid convoy, the EU called for an independent inquiry into what happened. It declined to assign blame or responsibility to any party for the incident. The EU says more facts are needed first.
Overall, the EU insists it stands by civilians in Gaza who are facing dire humanitarian conditions through no fault of their own. The bloc says innocent Palestinians should not suffer due to the actions of Hamas militants. So it continues to fund humanitarian relief efforts in the area.
