”Following exchanges with the Commission, UNRWA has also indicated that it stands ready to ensure that a review of its staff is carried out to confirm they did not participate in the (October 7) attacks and that further controls are put in place to mitigate such risks in the future,’’ the Commission said Friday.

 

The European Commission announced Friday that it will disburse a first tranche of EUR million out of the 82 million euros foreseen for UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, for 2024.

At the end of January, the Commission had assessed its funding decision for UNRWA in light of the very serious allegations regarding the impliccation of  several UNRWA staff in the atrocious 7 October attacks in southern Israel.

The decision to discourse the 50 million euros ‘’took account of the action taken by the UN and the commitments the Commission required from UNRWA,’’ said a press release issued by the Commission.

‘’The  Commission welcomes the UN’s Office for Internal Oversight Services investigation to shed light into the serious allegations against UNRWA staff. Furthermore, it commends the UN for creating an independent Review Group led by (former French Foreign Minister) Catherine Colonna to assess whether the Agency is doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality and respond to allegations of serious breaches,’’ it reads.

‘’Following exchanges with the Commission, UNRWA has also indicated that it stands ready to ensure that a review of its staff is carried out to confirm they did not participate in the attacks and that further controls are put in place to mitigate such risks in the future,’’ the Commission said.

It mentioned that UNRWA has agreed to the launch of an audit of the Agency to be conducted by EU appointed external experts. This audit will review the control systems to prevent the possible involvement of its staff and assets in terrorist activities.

The second and third tranches of 16 million euros will be released ‘’in line with the implementation of this agreement,’’ the Commission explained.

‘’Beyond its support to UNRWA, the Commission remains fully committed to addressing the humanitarian plight of the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza but also more widely in the region. For this purpose, it will allocate an additional EUR 68 million for in 2024,’’ the Commission also annonced. This additional funding will be allocated through international partners like the Red Cross and the Red Crescent.

This comes in addition to the foreseen 82 million euros of aid to be implemented through UNRWA in 2024, bringing the total to 150 million euros.

Von der Leyen: ‘Innocent Palestinians should not have to pay the price for the crimes of terrorist group Hamas’

“We stand by the Palestinian people in Gaza and elsewhere in the region. Innocent Palestinians should not have to pay the price for the crimes of terrorist group Hamas,’’ stated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

‘’They face terrible conditions putting their lives at risk because of lack of access to sufficient food and other basic needs. That is why we are reinforcing our support to them this year by a further 68 million,’’ she added.

The European  Commissioner  responsible for Neighbourhood Policy, Olivér Várhelyi, from Hungary, said that with its decision, the Commission was diversifying its aid in Gaza. He welcomed UNRWA’s commitment to prevent possible misconduct. The agreed measures must now be implemented so that UNRWA can continue to count on the support of the EU, said Várhelyi – “in particular the review of the aid organization’s staff in connection with the terrorist attacks of 7 October (…) on an ongoing basis with additional security precautions”.

In January, following the revelations of the involvement of UNWRA staff members in the October 7 attacks, seven EU member states – including France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands – announced they were halting payments to UNRWA pending investigations.