The European Union’s foreign policy chief has said that the UN agency’s work in delivering humanitarian aid and providing relief to Palestinians in Gaza is “critical to preserve”.
“Although an investigation is needed, we shouldn’t let allegations cloud UNRWA’s indispensable and great work,” he said on X.
Israel has accused about a dozen UNRWA staff of taking part in the October 7 attacks, leading to fund cuts by several countries.
At the same time, Norway, a top donor to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), is urging countries that have cut funding to the agency to consider the consequences of their actions on the population in Gaza, its foreign minister told Reuters on Wednesday.
The Nordic country on Sunday said it would maintain its funding to UNRWA following accusations that some agency staff took part in the October 7 attack by Hamas militants, in contrast to several other countries that have paused payments.
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“We are discussing the question of funding with other donors and will continue to do so in the coming days and weeks,” said Espen Barth Eide, adding Oslo was standing by its “strong commitment to the agency, and to the Palestinian people.”
“We urge fellow donor countries to reflect on the wider consequences of cutting their funding to UNRWA,” he said.
“UNWRA is a vital lifeline for 1.5 million refugees in Gaza. Now more than ever, the agency needs international support,” said the minister.
“To avoid collectively punishing millions of people, we need to distinguish between what individuals may have done and what UNRWA stands for.”
Barth Eide said Norwegian officials were informed of the allegations just ahead of the UN’s press release on Friday.
