Published 2024-01-27 23.06
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fullscreen Unrwa chief Philippe Lazzarini. Archive image. Photo: Bilal Hussein/AP/TT
The head of the UN agency Unrwa, Philippe Lazzarini, says he is shocked that so many countries have decided to freeze aid to the organization after the accusations that members had contact with terrorist-labeled Hamas.
“It is shocking to see frozen aid as a reaction to allegations against a small group of employees,” he writes in a statement and continues:
“People in Gaza depend on the support”.
UNRWA has around 30,000 employees, a majority of whom are locally employed Palestinians. Twelve people have been suspended so far.
At the same time, Israel states through Foreign Minister Israel Katz that the country demands that UNRWA be replaced by other bodies in Gaza when the war is over, so that peace can be achieved and reconstruction can take place.
On Saturday evening, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands joined the countries that are at least temporarily stopping their support. A total of nine countries have decided to freeze aid.