Sweden resumes UNRWA funding after Palestinian agency promises new controls on personnel

Sweden says it was resuming aid to the cash-strapped UN agency for Palestinians with an initial disbursement of $20 million after receiving assurances of extra checks on its spending and personnel.

Like several other countries, Sweden suspended aid to UNRWA in October after several of its employees actively took part in the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel that killed some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took 253 hostages.

“The government has allocated 400 million kronor to UNRWA for the year 2024. Today’s decision concerns a first payment of 200 million kronor,” the Swedish government says in a statement.

It says that to unblock the aid, UNRWA had agreed to “allow controls, independent audits, to strengthen internal supervision and extra controls of personnel.”

The Swedish move came after the European Commission earlier this month said it would release 50 million euros in UNRWA funding.