The suspension of UK funding for a UN relief agency working in Gaza has been overturned by the government.
In January, the Foreign Office paused any future funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) after allegations surfaced that some members of staff had been involved in the 7 October attacks in Israel last year.
But in the Commons on Friday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed the government was “overturning the suspension”, and said £21m in new support would be provided to the organisation, which focuses on emergency food, shelter and other help for millions of Palestinians affected by the conflict.
Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer told Sky News it was “a big mistake” to restore funding to UNWRA, alleging the organisation was “funnelling money” to and supporting Hamas.
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Mr Lammy told MPs: “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 get aid into Gaza at the scale needed.”
The foreign secretary said he was “appalled” by the allegations against UNRWA staff, which surfaced in an Israeli intelligence document.
But he said he had been “reassured” after an independent review by France’s minister for foreign affairs, Catherine Colonna, that the organisation was “ensuring they meet the highest standards of neutrality and strengthening its procedures, including on vetting”, and pointed to countries like France, Germany and Japan, who had already reinstated funding.
Another investigation into the veracity of allegations into UNRWA staff is being carried out by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services, and has yet to conclude.
The Foreign Office said Mr Lammy had spoken to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to confirm the UK’s decision, and that development minister Anneliese Dodds would meet UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini on Friday to discuss how the new funding would support their work.
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Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the decision on UNRWA in the Commons. Pic: Reuters
Charity ActionAid UK welcomed the change, saying it was a “long overdue step” to restore the “vital lifeline in Gaza”.
However, its senior humanitarian advocacy adviser Julia Rosell Jackson called on the UK government to end weapons sales to Israel, saying it needed to “resolve this glaring contradiction”.
The six-page Israeli dossier released earlier this year claimed 12 UNRWA employees were involved in the attack by Palestinian group Hamas that sparked the current conflict in Gaza.
The document claimed six of the workers crossed into Israel on the day of the incursion, when Hamas fighters killed around 1,200 people and captured more than 250 hostages, while a seventh worker is alleged to have provided logistics support in relation to the deadly attack.
Of those seven people, four were alleged to have kidnapped or assisted in the abduction of Israelis and another two were said to have participated in raids on communal farming villages.
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However, UNRWA said Israel had not provided it with evidence to support the allegations, while Sky News’ Alistair Bunkall, who saw the document, said it did not provide significant evidence for the claims.
UNRWA supports Palestinian refugees in Gaza, east Jerusalem and the West Bank, as well as Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, and employs 13,000 people in Gaza.
It offers services including healthcare, education, food aid, social services, infrastructure, camp improvement and emergency response – including in situations of armed conflict.