Alwaght- Following Israeli claims against UNRWA, Washington on Friday announced that it has cut off its funding to this United Nations agency aiding the Palestinian refugees.
The spokesman for the State Department Mathew Miller stated that the US is “extremely troubled” by allegations that 12 of employees of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees were involved in October 7 Hamas operation against Israel.
“The United States has reached out to the Government of Israel to seek more information about these allegations, and we have briefed Members of Congress. We will remain in close contact with the United Nations and Government of Israel regarding this matter,” the press release read.
A senior UN official announced on Friday and on the heels of the International Court of Justice’s ruling against the Israeli regime’s genocide in Gaza that Israeli authorities had information about the alleged involvement of several UNRWA employees in the attacks, officially dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, and have started a probe about them.
After the US, Canada, Australia and some European countries also announced that they would immediately suspend UNRWA funding in the midst of an investigation into the allegations against 12 employees of this agency.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her country is “temporarily suspends” financial sources to the agency providing humanitarian aids to the Palestinians.
Italian FM also followed suit with an X message.
Antonio Tajani said that Rome stopped financing to the UNRWA, adding that his country is committed to aids to Palestine, but at the same time is committed to the Israeli security.
Finland and Britain also said that they halt their funding until result of probe comes out.
With this concerted action, it can be said that Europe, which has always claimed advocacy to human rights, is now no longer afraid to openly display itself a partner to the crimes of a regime that is officially convicted for its genocide in Gaza by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Despite the fact that the ICJ refrained from ordering Israeli regime to immediately stop the war, it called on Tel Aviv to end genocide in the already-besieged enclave. Now it seems that the Israelis and their Western backers are taking revenge on the ICJ by cutting off the meager budget of this aid agency that covers 5 million Palestinian refugees.
UNRWA role in Gaza war
The Western move to financially restrict UNRWA capability to aid millions of Palestinian refugees has drawn massive criticism. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked countries supporting UNRWA to at least make sure of the continuation of the agency’s aid operations.
Reacting to the Western ban, Islamic Jihad Movement stated that the simultaneity of UNRWA budget cut-off with ICJ ruling release means that the West is punishing the Palestinian nation for its resistance to occupation.
The movement further warned against any undermining of the agency and its dangerous consequences for the region, adding that any attempt to bury the Palestinian cause will meet its failure.
According to UNGA Resolution 302 (IV) of 1950, UNRWA is mandated to respond to the needs of more than 5.6 million refugees in its five areas of work until a just and durable solution to the refugee issue is found. Under this mandate, UNRWA provides essential services in the areas of education, health, protection, relief and social services, micro-financing, and camp improvement with the support of more than 28,000 Palestinian staff.
The agency has already been suffering from funding shortage since the US financing cuts under President Donald Trump, and now with full halt of the funding, UNRWA will sink in a critical condition. Earlier, the agency reported a budget deficit of $150 million.
In August 2023, UNRWA announced that funding shortfalls had disrupted many of its services across Gaza Strip, which were provided by 13,000 employees in 300 buildings and complexes. These centers provide assistance including education, health and psychological care, relief and social services, cash and emergency aid to 1.7 million refugees in Gaza.
According to figures, around 300,000 children have been studying in UNRWA schools and vocational centers that were closed down after October 7.
Since Israel waged its war on Gaza, Tel Aviv launched massive attacks on UNRWA centers, including hundreds of airstrikes on the agency’s facilities, killing 150 of the UNRWA employees. Currently only 4 out of the 22 medical centers of UNRWA in Gaza are active.
Responsibility of Muslim and Arab countries
Now the question is that now that the US and its orbit of countries have halted their aids to Gaza, will the Muslim and Arab countries take steps to fill the financial void for the UNRWA in Gaza?
As the UN officials suggest, the necessary budget for the UNRWA to continue its activities is not a big deal. On October 11, the UN said it would need $104 million for the UNRWA to continue its job for the “next 90 days.” Indeed, this and even more than this amount is not big for over 50 Muslim and Arab nations.
Saudi Arabia, whose king calls himself the custodian of the Two Holy Shrines, have spent several times more than the required budget of UNRWA to invite stars and artists from Europe and India only in recent months for splendid opening ceremonies of music and art festivals. While the Israeli war machine has been massacring the Gazans, Saudi Arabia even resisted the calls for ceasing the Riyadh entertainment festivals in respect to the Palestinians.
Turki Al-Sheikh, the chief of Saudi Arabia General Entertainment Authority in an X post said that the kingdom spent 3.1 billion Saudi riyals ($823.7 million) on Riyadh Season arts and music festival and earned nearly 6 billion Saudi riyals ($1.6 billion) in direct and indirect revenues. This data was for 2019, and in 2023 the spending was certainly higher.
However, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries such as Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Oman have not yet voiced their readiness to fill the UNRWA funding gaps. Each of these countries with their rich oil and gas resources, which are only one of their sources of income, can effectively aid the displaced Palestinians by contributing only a small amount. But, unbelievably, pieces of evidence talk about their behind-the-scenes enmity to the Palestinians that keep them away from taking humanitarian measures.
