Spain announced increasing its aid to the UNRWA on Monday. The agency is experiencing financial strain following the suspension of funding from several nations.
Spain said on Monday that it would give an additional 3.5 million euros ($3.8 million) in aid to the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, which is facing a cash crunch after several nations suspended their funding.
Over a dozen countries, including major donors like the United States, Germany, Britain, and Sweden, have suspended their funding to the agency over accusations that 12 of its staff members were involved in the October 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas.
The UNRWA, which has received a Norwegian nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, has warned that it will have to cease operations by the end of February if the funding is significantly pulled.
“Spain will release an urgent envelope of 3.5 million euros so that UNRWA can maintain its activities in the short term,” Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Luis Albares told a parliamentary committee.
“UNRWA’s situation is desperate, and there is a serious risk that its humanitarian activities will be paralyzed in Gaza within a few weeks,” he said.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Sunday that the total of suspended funds currently amounts to “more than $440 million, or around half the agency’s expected funds for 2024.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that the UN agency had been “totally infiltrated” by Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007.
Spain is one of the most critical voices in Europe when it comes to Israel’s offensive against Hamas.
Khalil Wakim, with AFP
