From the Liveblog of
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Austria to unblock UNRWA funds
Austria will release funds to the UN’s Palestinian relief organisation UNRWA that were blocked after allegations agency staff were involved in the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel.
Vienna’s decision comes after UNRWA set out an action plan to better ensure its impartiality, strengthen internal reviews and improve how its staff are monitored.
“After a thorough analysis of the action plan, we will release funds to UNRWA again,” the Austrian foreign ministry says.
Funds totaling 3.4 million euros ($3.70 million) have been budgeted for 2024, with the first payment due to be made in the summer, it adds.
Austria was one of the donor states to freeze some $450 million in funds after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of participating in the Hamas-led attack, in which terrorists killed some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took 252 hostages, an event that triggered the Gaza war.
Several UNRWA employees were documented taking part in the massacres and kidnapping Israelis.
Israel has also repeatedly shown terrorists using UNRWA facilities in Gaza.
Germany said last month it would resume cooperation with UNRWA following a report led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna into UNRWA’s procedures for ensuring adherence to principles of neutrality.
