The payment of 31 million from the Swedish aid agency Sida to UNRWA was not paid out as planned after employees within the organization were suspected of having been involved in the Hamas attack on 7 October.
“The funds that were initially planned to be paid out to UNRWA in 2024 will instead be redistributed to other established humanitarian organizations in Palestine and Lebanon,” writes Sida in a press release.
Waiting for an investigation into the entire Swedish aid
The decision not to pay out the aid is welcomed by the moderate aid and foreign trade minister Johan Forsell.
– It is a very welcome decision against the background of the very serious information that has come to light, says Johan Forsell.
– What has happened now is that a payment from Sida that was planned will be redirected to other humanitarian actors. Swedish aid must never come close to terrorism. But we see that many children and women have a difficult humanitarian situation. Now the same money will reach other serious organizations.
He emphasizes that the decision comes from the authorities and that there is still no decision regarding the SEK 400 million in nuclear aid, which comes from another pot and has not been paid out.
– With regard to the core support, we have asked for an investigation from Sida, which will review all Swedish aid in the area. It should be ready on February 15, no Swedish payments are planned before then, says Johan Forsell.
“It’s good that aid is frozen”
The Liberals also welcome the announcement from Sida to redirect the payment of SEK 31 million.
– From the Liberals’ side, we think it is good that aid is frozen to UNWRA. Partly because of what has come to light about these people who participated in attacks on October 7, but also because it has come to light that other people have not distanced themselves from or contributed to anti-Semitism and extremism, says Joar Forsell, foreign policy spokesperson for the Liberals .
The Left Party: Risks creating famine
However, the decision is not welcomed by everyone. From the Left Party, it is critical that the money is not paid to UNRWA, which it believes is the most important aid organization in Gaza.
– UNRWA accounts for 80 percent of all aid to the Palestinian refugees in Gaza. And by pausing the aid, it risks creating starvation, death for the Palestinians who find themselves in an incredibly difficult humanitarian situation, says Håkan Svenneling, foreign policy spokesperson for the Left Party.
Svenneling thinks that instead, together with other countries, aid to Palestinians should be increased.
– I am very concerned about the humanitarian consequences that may come from this decision, says Håkan Svenneling
Several countries have stopped their contributions to the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA. This after suspicions that employees were involved in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Sida writes that a case has been established to assess the suspicions.