Canada to lift UNRWA funding freeze, calls humanitarian situation in Gaza 'catastrophic'
CTV
Canada is resuming funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and will help support the airdrop of Canadian-funded supplies into Gaza.
Canada is resuming funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and will help support the airdrop of Canadian-funded supplies into Gaza.
Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced the decision Friday afternoon, stating it was taken in part so that more can be urgently done to respond to the "dire" needs of Palestinian civilians.
Canada and other allies had paused funding amid allegations that some UNRWA staff were involved in the Hamas attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
According to Hussen, while the final report of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) isn't final, Canada has reviewed the interim report of the investigation and is assured by its contents, adding that UNRWA has taken measures to strengthen oversight, accountability and transparency.
"Canada will work with fellow donors, the UN and UNRWA to ensure that the recommendations stemming from both the OIOS investigation and the independent review are fully implemented," reads a statement from Hussen's office that accompanied the minister's announcement.
No regularly scheduled payment was missed during the temporary pause that began in January, and the Canadian government is set to send $25 million to the agency in April. Hussen said this is to help prevent the collapse of the organization, which he described as "the backbone of the humanitarian response" in the region.
"I was in Rafah just two weeks ago … where I met courageous Canadian humanitarian workers who were doing everything that they can to save lives in Gaza. I saw hundreds of trucks filled with life-saving supplies, stuck at the border waiting to enter," Hussen said, speaking to media in Toronto.
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