Aid organisations call for release of Swiss funds for UNRWA
With famine looming in Gaza, 17 aid organisations have called for the rapid release of Swiss funds for the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). A decision from Bern is expected later in the year.
Responding to a request by the Keystone-SDA news agency, the Swiss foreign ministry said a decision on the disbursement of the CHF20 million ($22.21 million) in contributions planned for 2024 could only be made once more information was available on the serious allegations against the aid organisation.
In addition, support for humanitarian groups in the Middle East can only be granted after consultation with the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Swiss parliament, following a decision by law-makders to this effect in December.
According to the foreign ministry, such consultations regarding UNRWA are scheduled for the second quarter of 2024. If approved, the funds would moreover be paid out in separate instalments, the ministry added.
With its contribution, Switzerland is one of the largest donors to the Palestinian relief works body.
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What are the allegations upending UNRWA’s aid efforts in Gaza?
UNRWA head in parliament
Next Tuesday, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives is set to speak with the Swiss UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini. The invitation was extended in order to discuss the situation in which UNRWA currently finds itself, committee president Laurent Wehrli from the centre-right Radical Liberal party told the media.
The Foreign Affairs Committee is likely to demand a statement from Lazzarini on the alleged involvement of twelve UNRWA employees in the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023.
The United Nations launched an internal and external investigation in mid-February after these allegations made by Israel became known. The external group of experts identified a need for improvement in an interim report. Its final report is due to be published on April 20.
Several countries suspended their payments to the aid organisation in the wake of the allegations. Sweden has since resumed funding.
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No collective punishment
The 17 NGOs in question, including Amnesty International, various peace organisations, the Group for a Switzerland without an Army, and Palestine solidarity groups, appealed to the Foreign Affiars Committee and the Swiss government to pay the contribution to UNRWA as quickly as possible, citing April as a timeframe. They say Gaza is facing acute famine as a result of human actions.
Israel has for years been vocally critical of UNRWA; this latter, along with the UN, says that millions of people in need of aid in Gaza should not be collectively punished for the crimes of individuals. The relief organisation is currently seen as the only feasible option for providing humanitarian aid to more than two million civilians suffering from the consequences of the war.
Adapted from German by DeepL/kc,dos
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