Delivery time2024-01-31 22:06
Appeal to resume suspension of donations to UNRWA due to ‘Hamas suspicions’
Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
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(Geneva = Yonhap News) Correspondent Ahn Hee = As major countries announced a series of suspensions of support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which is embroiled in suspicions of links to Hamas, heads of aid organizations within the United Nations appealed for the resumption of support, saying that disaster must be prevented.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and heads of UN organizations in the field of international aid issued a joint statement on the 31st (local time), saying, “The withdrawal of UNRWA’s funds will lead to the collapse of the humanitarian system in the Gaza Strip, which will have disastrous consequences.” revealed.
The statement included the High Representative of the Turks, Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and Cindy McCain of the World Food Program. (WFP) Secretary-General and others participated.
They said it was “appalling” that some UNRWA staff were being criticized for their alleged involvement in Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel, but stressed that “but this should not interfere with the UN’s mission to serve people in need.”
Suspicion of UNRWA employees’ links to Hamas was publicly revealed through a statement by UNRWA Executive Chairman Philippe Lazzarini on the 26th.
Chairman Lazarini announced that he was conducting his own investigation after receiving suspicion information from Israel that 12 UNRWA employees were involved in Hamas’ raid on Israel on October 7 last year.
The suspicion is that UNRWA employees assisted Hamas when Hamas murdered about 1,200 civilians and took about 250 hostage.
There were reports that UNRWA employees were guilty of serious crimes, such as evidence revealing that they participated in the kidnapping of women, collective farm massacres, and the transportation of weapons.
As an incident occurred that dealt a blow to the political neutrality of the UN relief agency, major countries including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan announced plans to suspend support for UNRWA.
The European Union (EU) also urged the United Nations to conduct an emergency audit involving independent experts and decided not to support UNRWA until the results of the investigation are released.
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2024/01/31 22:06 Sent
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2024-01-31 13:06:01
