Despite terror allegations

Norway wants to transfer millions to UNRWA again

The first European states want to resume aid payments to the controversial UN organization.

(Bild: AFP)

After Spain, Norway is also helping the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which has come under criticism, financially. The relief organization is the backbone of all humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip, explained Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on Thursday during a trip to Washington.

Norway is therefore transferring 275 million Norwegian kroner (24 million euros) for the work of the organization for Palestinian refugees.

Spain had announced at the beginning of the week that it would support the aid organization with a special payment of 3.5 million euros. According to government information, the Norwegian contribution will benefit UNRWA's work for 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank including East Jerusalem, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

Norway expects clarification
At the same time, Eide made it clear in a statement from his ministry on Wednesday evening that they were shocked by the accusations against UNRWA employees and expected full transparency in this regard. However, it was completely wrong to punish millions of people collectively for the alleged actions of twelve employees.

UNRWA recently warned that it may have to stop all its work in four weeks if promised funds are not paid. More than a dozen countries, including the largest donors, the USA and Germany, have suspended a total of more than 400 million euros in payments.

The background to this are allegations that twelve of the approximately 13,000 aid workers in the Gaza Strip were involved in the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7.