8:02 a.m. ET, January 29, 2024
European Commission will decide whether to continue funding UN aid organization after investigation
The European Commission will decide whether it will provide funding to UNRWA, the UN Palestine relief agency, after an investigation, the European Commission says.
UNRWA is in turmoil after Israel accused some of its staff members of involvement in Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks. It has fired several employees in the wake of the allegations, which have not been made public.
Where things stand: Currently, the EC says, no additional funding to UNRWA is due till the end of February. It said the commission would then decide whether to provide aid to UNRWA or not after the investigation is finalized and based on decisions taken by the UN.
The Council said it expected UNRWA to “agree to carrying out an audit of the Agency to be conducted by EU appointed independent external experts,” a statement from the EC said.
In a statement, the EC also said it expected UNRWA to assess what control systems were in place “to prevent the possible involvement of its staff in terrorist activities” and a “strengthening of UNRWA’s Department of Internal Investigations (DIOS) which is key in this regard.”
Eric Mamer, the Commission’s chief spokesperson, said Monday “I think the situation is sufficiently serious for everybody, including UNRWA, to understand that investigations and audits have to take place as quickly as possible.”
