Switzerland to ‘thoroughly analyse’ UNRWA report before funding decision
The Swiss foreign ministry has said it will “thoroughly analyse” an independent report on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip before taking any decision on the future funding of the organisation.
An independent review of the neutrality of the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees was released on Monday.
Switzerland has not yet transferred its CHF20 million ($22 million) contribution to UNRWA earmarked for 2024, the foreign ministry confirmed to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Tuesday. The suspension – announced a few months ago following serious allegations against the UN agency – is still in force.
+ What are the allegations against UNRWA?
The foreign affairs committees of the House of Representatives and Senate would be consulted before any decision on UNRWA funding was taken, as decided by parliament last December, the Swiss ministry added. It did not specify when a decision would be made.
Suggested ‘neutrality problems’
A review of the UN organisation, which was carried out under the leadership of former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, suggested that UNRWA had political “neutrality problems”. However, experts also said that Israel had yet to provide “evidence” of possible terrorist involvement by some members of UNRWA.
+ Swiss parliament divided on UNRWA aid
The report, presented on Monday in New York, was prepared after Israel accused the UNRWA of employing hundreds of Palestinian terrorists, a dozen of whom were allegedly involved in the Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7.
Adapted from German by DeepL/kp/sb
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