Close to a dozen countries have announced they will suspend aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, known as UNRWA, after allegations that twelve staff members were involved in the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7.
The United States is the leading contributor to UNRWA and was the first country to suspend aid to the organization. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that the U.S. “is extremely troubled by the allegations. The Department of State has temporarily paused additional funding for UNRWA while we review these allegations and the steps the United Nations is taking to address them,” he said.
White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby noted that Secretary of State Antony Blinken made clear in a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the United States “expects ... a complete and thorough and transparent investigation,” and that “those who should be are properly held accountable ... as the UN said, even including the potential for criminal prosecution.”
UNRWA was established in 1948 for refugees of the 1948-1949 Arab-Israeli war. It provides aid and services to people in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. UNRWA operates schools, health clinics, infrastructure and aid projects. Reportedly 2 million people in Gaza rely on UNRWA services for assistance. Israel has long accused the organization of promoting antisemitism in its schools and of allowing Hamas to siphon off money and supplies donated to UNRWA and meant for Palestinian civilians.
Spokesperson Miller said that “UNRWA plays a critical role in providing lifesaving assistance to Palestinians, including essential food, medicine, shelter, and other vital humanitarian support. Their work has saved lives, and it is important that UNRWA address these allegations and take any appropriate corrective measures, including reviewing its existing policies and procedures.”
In a statement marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, President Biden noted, “On October 7, Hamas terrorists unleashed pure, unadulterated evil on the people of Israel, slaughtering approximately 1,200 innocent people and taking hundreds more hostage – including survivors of the Shoah. It was the worst atrocity committed against the Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust.”
As National Security Council Coordinator Kirby said, allegations that even a small number of staff of UNRWA helped in that effort are “serious.” That is why the United Nations’ investigation into the charges, he declared, “be credible, transparent and thorough, and frankly, timely.”
