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Green light for Switzerland’s CHF10 million UNRWA contribution 

A light blue sign surrounded be trees. In big letters at the centre it says, ‘west bank field office’. IAt the top in smaller lettering it says United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), with ‘west bank’ in the bottom left and ‘Jerusalem’ bottom right.
The relevant committee has approved the government's decision last month to pay the contribution, subject to conditions. EPA / Abir Sultan

Switzerland will pay its CHF10 million ($11.2 million) contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) after months of controversy. 

The relevant committee has approved the government’s decision last month to pay the contribution, subject to conditions. 

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It has specified that the payment was in response to UNRWA’s appeal for humanitarian aid and is intended exclusively to cover the organisation’s most urgent needs in Gaza between April to December 2024: food, water, shelter, primary healthcare and logistics. 

The House of Representatives’ foreign policy committee supported the proposal by 12 votes to 11, parliamentary services reported on Thursday, but insisted on attaching the following conditions.

+ What are the allegations upending UNRWA’s aid efforts in Gaza?

The payment must also include the reference ‘essential goods’ and mention that it may not be used to pay UNRWA’s general operating or administrative costs. 

Adapted from French by DeepL/kp/jdp

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