One by one, contributors close the financial floodgates. At least eight countries, led by the United States, have announced in the past 24 hours that they are suspending their aid to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. The latter, according to the Israeli government, counts among its personnel those who played a role in the October 7 attack by Hamas.
But what exactly is Unerva? What is its role? Its history? We tell you more.
Born at the time of the creation of Israel
UNRWA was born by the UN General Assembly in December 1949, after the first Arab-Israeli conflict erupted in May 1948, the day after the creation of Israel. The agency was to provide humanitarian aid and protection. field of operations, “while awaiting a just and permanent solution to their situation”.
According to the UN, more than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled their lands between April and August 1948, when Israel was created. These people, as well as their descendants, have the status of refugees. And UNRWA is the sole guarantor of their international status by default.
UNRWA also intervenes in the Palestinian territories in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. About 5.9 million Palestinians are registered with it, and can benefit from services including education, health care, social services, camp infrastructure, microfinance and emergency aid, including during times of armed conflict.
There are a total of 60 refugee camps managed by the agency, including 19 in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967. More than 540,000 children study in UNRWA schools.
13,000 personnel in Gaza
In the Gaza Strip, where Hamas took power in 2007, the humanitarian situation was already dire even before the start of the war between Israel and the Islamist movement.
There are eight camps and about 1.7 million refugees in a 365 km2 region according to the UN for a total population of about 2.4 million people.
Of the 30,000 people employed by the agency, 13,000 work in the Gaza Strip, spread across more than 300 facilities, according to the organization’s website.
First break with Trump
In 2018, the United States of Donald Trump, the largest contributor to UNRWA, ended its annual financial assistance of 300 million dollars (270 million euros).
Israel – which welcomed the American decision – accuses UNRWA of “perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” on the grounds that many Palestinians are refugees with a right to return to the land.
After the election of President Joe Biden, Washington resumed its payments in 2021.
October 7 and the current crisis
This Friday, October 7, Anwra separated himself from several employees (twelve according to the United States) accused of involvement in a Hamas attack. Washington “temporarily” suspended all additional funding, and other countries followed suit: Canada, Australia, Italy, the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany.
In 2022, funding from the UN regular budget and contributions from other UN organizations amounted to $44.6 million.
