Independent report contradicts Israeli claims about UNRWA
An independent report released on April 22 found that the UNRWA, the main agency assisting Palestinians, is not compromised by Hamas or any other outside groups, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
In January, Israel claimed that a dozen UNRWA staffers were involved in Hamas’ rampage in southern Israel back in October. The country, again without giving evidence, also said that over 1,000 of the agency’s 13,000 Gaza-based employees had ties to the group.
The UNRWA said that since October, 180 of their employees have been killed in Gaza.
Quick to believe the accusations, 16 countries suspended their funding to the UN agency in late January. This amounted to a halt of funding to the tune of $450 million and many have now restarted donating, including the EU.
The twelve accused were swiftly sacked by the head of the agency, Philippe Lazzarini, who cited the strong amount of pressure on UNRWA for the move.
The review was conducted over a nine-week period and led by ex-French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and three Scandinavian research organizations, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, Norway’s Chr. Michelsen Institute and the Danish Institute for Human Rights.
Colonna said the investigation committee spoke with over 200 people, including UNRWA staff in Gaza, and had direct contacts with representatives of 47 countries and organisations.
The report said:“The review revealed that UNRWA has established a significant number of mechanisms and procedures to ensure compliance with the humanitarian 5 principles, with emphasis on the principle of neutrality, and that it possesses a more developed approach to neutrality than other similar UN or NGO entities.”
Discussing the findings at a UN press briefing on April 22, Colonna stressed that there is “room for improvement” and some neutrality issues remain however the agency has overall been doing their work without any form of bias.
She added: “Now what needs to be improved will be improved, I would strongly encourage the international community to stand side-by-side with the agency so it can perform its mission and overcome the challenges when they are there.”
READ: Daoud Kuttab: West should not have believed Israel over UNRWA
On April 9, US-based NGO Human Rights Watch said that in northern Gaza, 70% of the population is experiencing catastrophic hunger. Moreover, 25% of the enclave’s population are experiencing dire levels of malnutrition.
The accusation of “using starvation as a weapon of war” has widely been levelled at Israel, including by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.
Although a slight increase of aid trucks have entered Gaza over recent weeks due to US pressure on the Netanyahu government, a lacklustre 147 entered the Strip on April 11, according to BBC News.
UNRWA spokesperson Jonathan Fowler said in February that 500 trucks, roughly the amount that would usually be allowed in on a daily basis prior to October 7, of humanitarian aid alone are needed each day to meet the basic needs of the Gazan people.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said that he was satisfied by the independent report’s findings provided by the independent report and reiterated that he “appeals to all stakeholders to actively support UNRWA, as it is a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region,”
The agency wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “We welcome the results of the independent review of UNRWA by Catherine Colonna.
“It shows that we have a framework to safeguard our neutrality – a key humanitarian principle – and we act when breaches occur. This is crucial for our aid operation in Gaza and our work across the region.”
AP
