Germany to Resume Funding for UNRWA, Following Independent Report’s Clearance of Agency’s Neutrality

Germany has announced that it will resume funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), following in the footsteps of other countries such as Australia, Canada, Sweden, and Japan. The German Foreign Ministry and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development issued a joint statement expressing their intention to continue cooperation with UNRWA in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres accepted the findings of an independent investigative team that concluded UNRWA remained neutral and that Israel had not provided evidence of agency employees being involved in terrorist activities. Guterres agreed with UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini to develop a plan to implement the commission’s recommendations and urged all stakeholders to actively support the agency, which he described as the only hope for Palestinian refugees in the region.

The report, authored by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, highlighted the importance of UNRWA for Palestinians in Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank. While acknowledging that UNRWA could strengthen mechanisms to ensure neutrality, the report noted progress in areas like audits and internal controls to uphold humanitarian principles.

Israel has previously alleged that UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip were involved with terrorist organizations, claiming that some were directly involved in attacks. However, the independent report found that Israel had not provided evidence to substantiate these allegations. The report emphasized the crucial role UNRWA plays in providing assistance to Palestinian refugees and called for continued support for the agency.