The Swiss foreign ministry has decided to temporarily stop payments to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) amid claims of misconduct among its top management.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/urs
العربية
ar
سويسرا تعلق مؤقتا تمويلاتها لصالح وكالة غوث وتشغيل اللاجئين الفلسطينيين
The ministry was informed of the situation by the agency’s commissioner-general, Pierre Krähenbühl, on Monday according to SRF public radio.
A confidential report by UNRWA’s ethics office claims that members of top management have abused their authority, with charges including nepotism, discrimination and sexual misconduct. The report alleges that Krähenbühl claimed daily allowances despite being away from UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem.
Krähenbühl, a Swiss national, has been at the UNRWAExternal link since 2014, has apparently pledged full cooperation with the investigating authorities.
Switzerland has been a member of the agency since its beginning in 1949 and has paid about CHF20 million ($20 million) in contributions for this year.
The agency has already been under intense pressure since one of its main sponsors, the United States, cut funding drastically last year.
The Swiss foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, has also publicly criticised the role of the UNRWA.
The agency has an annual budget $1.2 billion to support more than five million Palestinian refugees in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Gaza and the West Bank.
More
More
ICRC responds to Cassis’ UNRWA comments
This content was published on
Peter Maurer, head of the ICRC, has addressed the recent controversial Palestinian comments made by the Swiss foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis.
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
Swiss cantons spared duty to create new traveller transit sites
This content was published on
Swiss cantons will no longer be formally obliged by the government to create new transit sites for the travelling community.
Swiss politicians bemoan limited access to EU treaty details
This content was published on
Protests that only a few Swiss parliamentarians will be able to read the contents of a new agreement negotiated with the EU.
This content was published on
For the first time, most Swiss residents favour withdrawing their pension pot as a lump-sum over regular annuity payments.
This content was published on
The cost of buying a home in Switzerland rose by 4.1% year-on-year in the last quarter and by 0.7% compared to the previous three months.
Landslide threatened Swiss village of Brienz faces many more evacuations
This content was published on
The population of the Swiss village of Brienz/Brinzauls isn warned to expect more landslide evacuations in the coming years.
This content was published on
Swiss International Air Lines will avoid Pakistani airspace until further notice due to rising tension between India and Pakistan.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
UN ‘complaints’ follow Cassis remarks on Palestine
This content was published on
There have been complaints at the UN after foreign minister Ignazio Cassis criticized UN policy on Palestine, write two Sunday newspapers.
Switzerland ‘extremely worried’ by US aid cuts to Palestinians
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry says it is preoccupied by the US aid cut to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
This content was published on
“I don’t think many people believed we would overcome the $446-million (CHF448 million) shortfall at the beginning of the year,” the Swiss humanitarian official told reporters at the UN in Geneva on Thursday. Krähenbühl, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)External link, said that his organisation faced an “unprecedented financial crisis” this…
Middle East education payments ‘funding terrorist propaganda’
This content was published on
The Sonntagszeitung newspaperExternal link has unearthed evidence that UNRWAExternal link money directed at educational projects is funding school material that praises so-called Islamic martyrs. Switzerland is one of the largest contributors to UNRWA, giving some CHF27 million ($27.4 million) to the agency last year. It is headed by Swiss national Pierre Krähenbühl. The controversial educational…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.