Sixteen countries withdrew $450 million in funding from the UN agency in January after Israel made unsubstantiated allegations that a dozen operatives were involved in the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on October 7, which killed some 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage.
Independent assessment
The British Foreign Secretary in the new Labour government, David Lammy, made the announcement to MPs. It is the first significant change from the previous Conservative government’s position on the Gaza crisis.
Mr Lammy told the House of Commons he was shocked by the allegations of UNRWA involvement in the attacks, but was reassured after an independent investigation into the allegations, conducted by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna at the request of the Secretary-General, reported that Israel had provided no evidence to support its claims.
The foreign minister said UNRWA has now taken steps to ensure it meets “the highest standards of neutrality.”
Immediate capital injection
The UK will reportedly provide around $27 million in funding to UNRWA, which will go towards food, shelter and other emergency humanitarian supplies in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
When allegations against the agency were first made, Britain joined the US and many other countries in suspending funding. But now the US stands alone in withholding money from UNRWA, the main provider and distributor of aid throughout the occupied Palestinian territory.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini’s online message on Friday highlighted the “life-saving and human development work” of the agency’s teams, who are the main providers of aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the region.
Mr Lazzarini also reiterated his commitment to implementing the 50 recommendations of the independent report led by Ms Colonna.
Last week, at a major pledging conference for UNRWA, where 118 Member States made a strong commitment to the agency, the UN Secretary-General António Guterressaid that Without more funding, Palestinian refugees will lose “a vital lifeline and the last glimmer of hope for a better future.”
“Let me be clear,” he added. “There is no alternative to UNRWA.”
