Ankara urges reconsideration as key donors halt funding to UNRWA

ANKARA

Ankara has expressed deep concern over the decision of key donor countries to suspend funding to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees following Israel's allegations that staff members took part in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.

"The suspension of funding to UNRWA, following allegations against a few UNRWA staff, will primarily harm the Palestinian people," read a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Jan. 28.

"We expect the countries that have announced suspension of funding to UNRWA to reconsider their decisions."

The UNRWA has taken swift action in response to the allegations, terminating the employment of several individuals allegedly involved in the attack. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, pledged a thorough investigation into the matter and assured that any employee found guilty of participating in "acts of terror" would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.

The United States, which is the agency's largest donor, cut funding over the weekend, followed by eight other countries, including Britain and Germany. Together, they provided nearly 60 percent of UNRWA's budget in 2022.

The U.S. called for complete accountability for those involved in the attack, while the British government expressed its shock at the allegations.

Canada, France, Italy and the Netherlands also announced suspensions or freezes in funding while investigations are ongoing. This collective action threatens to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where over 2 million Palestinians rely on UNRWA aid.

U.N. chief Antonio Guterres has promised an urgent independent review of UNRWA, but also pleaded for donor states to "guarantee the continuity" of the agency.

“The abhorrent alleged acts of these staff members must have consequences,” Guterres said in a statement.

“But the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized. The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met,” he added.

The U.N. chief said that of the 12 employees accused, nine were immediately terminated, one was confirmed dead and two were still being identified. He said they would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.

UNRWA provides basic services for Palestinian families who fled or were driven out of what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding the country's creation. They live in built-up refugee camps in Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

The refugees and their descendants are the majority of Gaza's population. Since the war began, most of the territory’s 2.3 million people depend on the agency's programs for “sheer survival,” including food and shelter, Lazzarini said. That lifeline could “collapse any time now," he said, after funding was suspended.