OSLO, Dec 20 — Sweden will no longer fund the United Nations’ refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) but instead provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza via other channels, the Nordic country’s aid minister, Benjamin Dousa, told Swedish broadcaster TV4 today.
Israel, which will ban UNRWA’s operations in the country from late January, has repeatedly accused the agency of being involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Sweden’s decision to end funding for UNRWA was in response to the Israeli ban, as it will make channelling aid to the Palestinians via the agency more difficult, Dousa said.
Sweden plans to increase its overall humanitarian assistance to Gaza next year, he added.
“There are several other organisations in Gaza, I have just been there and met several of them,” the minister said, naming the UN World Food Programme as one potential recipient.
The UN General Assembly threw its support behind UNRWA this month, demanding Israel respect the agency’s mandate and “enable its operations to proceed without impediment or restriction”.
— Reuters
