THE UK Government will restore funding to a key UN aid agency working in Gaza.
It comes after the Tory government cut off funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) after allegations made by Israel that some of its staff were linked to Hamas.
An independent report into the agency from a UN review panel said Israel had not provided evidence for the claims, but the Tories refused to restore funding.
The report found that UNRWA had “extensive tools in place to ensure it remains unbiased in its work and routinely provides Israel with employee lists”. It added that the “Israeli government has not informed UNRWA of any concerns relating to any UNRWA staff based on these staff lists since 2011”.
Now, Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said the UK Government will restore funding to the agency – following countries including Canada, France and Germany.
Lammy told the Commons on Friday: “Humanitarian aid is a moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe, and it is aid agencies who ensure UK support reaches civilians on the ground. UNRWA is absolutely central to these efforts. No other agency can deliver aid at the scale needed.
“It's already feeding over half of Gaza's population. It will be vital for future reconstruction, and it provides critical services to Palestinian refugees in the region.”
He went on: “Partners like Japan, the European Union and Norway have now acted. This government will act too.
“I can confirm to the house that we are overturning the suspension of UNRWA funding.”
Lammy said the UK would provide £21 million in new funding.
This will consist of £6m to the Gaza flash appeal, through which UNRWA is specifically focusing its support to address the most urgent needs of more than three million people in Gaza and the West Bank, the UK Government said.
The remaining £15m will go towards UNRWA’s programme budget to provide basic services in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and wider region.
The Labour government further said that the Foreign Secretary spoke with UN Secretary General António Guterres on Thursday "to confirm the UK’s decision to restart funding and discuss the UN’s vital role in providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza".
Elsewhere in the Commons, Lammy was challenged on whether the UK Government would block arms exports to Israel, which it must legally do if there is a “clear risk” those arms could be used to breach international humanitarian law.
The Labour MP refused to end the exports, saying Israel was surrounded by “people who would see its annihilation”.
“It would not be right to have a blanket ban between our countries and Israel. What is right is for me to consider the issues in relation to offensive weapons in Gaza in the normal way following the quasi-judicial process.”
