Published January 29,2024
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The UN chief will meet with main donors to the UN’s Palestine refugee company this week amid a funding disaster sparked by allegations that a few of its staff in Gaza participated within the Oct. 7 cross-border assault on Israel.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will host the assembly on the UN’s New York City headquarters on Tuesday afternoon, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric instructed reporters.
The UN chief has been participating with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees within the Near East (UNRWA) management, in addition to regional leaders, amid the controversy.
About half of UNRWA’s key donors have halted their funding, and Dujarric stated the “outlook for UNRWA, and the millions of people it serves not only in Gaza but also in East Jerusalem in the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, is very bleak.”
“The critical humanitarian work that the UN does not only in Gaza but all over the region, needs to be supported. People’s lives depend on it,” he added.
Dujarric stated Guterres met earlier Monday with the American UN envoy, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, after Washington suspended its contributions.
UNRWA employs over 13,000 individuals in Gaza. About a dozen are accused by Israel of participation within the assault. The company stated it terminated contracts with a number of staff following the allegations.
At least 12 countries-Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Finland, Australia, the UK, Netherlands, the US, France, Austria and Japan-have suspended funds for UNRWA, which was established in 1949 to help Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East.
The Israeli accusations got here because the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday discovered South Africa’s declare that Israel is committing genocide believable. The courtroom issued an interim order urging Israel to cease obstructing help deliveries into Gaza and to enhance the humanitarian scenario.
UNRWA has launched a full investigation into the accusations, and is “taking very seriously all the allegations that have been made,” Dujarric stated.
Flouting the ICJ’s provisional ruling, Israel continues its warfare on the Gaza Strip the place not less than 26,637 Palestinians have been killed, principally girls and youngsters, and 65,387 others injured since Oct. 7, in response to Palestinian well being authorities. Israel estimates that 1,200 individuals have been killed within the October Hamas assault.
The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s inhabitants internally displaced amid acute shortages of meals, clear water, and medication, whereas 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was broken or destroyed, in response to the UN.
Source: www.anews.com.tr