Inside Geneva: what’s the future of UNRWA?

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Israel has accused the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) of being involved in the October 7 attacks. 

“October 7th was a gamechanger. Because the involvement, direct involvement, of those 13 UNRWA employees in the October 7th attacks on Israel changed everything,” said Nina Ben-Ami, Head of Bureau, International Organizations and UN Division, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Inside Geneva looks at what’s at stake.  

UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini says: “Today the needs are absolutely staggering in the Gaza Strip.” 

UNRWA has fired the employees under suspicion, but its major donors have cut funding, even before the formal UN investigation into Israel’s allegations is completed. UNRWA has 13,000 staff in Gaza, providing schools and clinics.  

“Even if the allegations are true, that’s no justification for cutting off funding for the most important aid and relief agency in the Gaza Strip,” says Louis Charbonneau, UN Director at Human Rights Watch. 

Can other aid agencies step up if UNRWA has to stop? 

Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council: “All of the non-governmental organisations, all of the Red Cross, Red Crescent organisations, all of the UN agencies combined, we’re not even half of what UNRWA is for Gazan society.” 

Where does this leave the 1.5 million Gazans now crammed into Rafah? 

“Israel is thinking of going in with a bloody ground offensive. We would hold the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and all of these other countries providing the arms to this…we will hold them accountable for what is going to happen in Rafah,” Egeland continues.

“UNRWA remains the only lifeline in a region full of despair. A region which now deserves that we collectively look at promoting a proper genuine peaceful political solution,” concludes Lazzarini.  

Join host Imogen Foulkes on our Inside Geneva podcast to learn more about the allegations and possible outcomes for UNRWA.  

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