mw. At least ten major Western donors, including Germany, the USA, the UK and Canada, have “temporarily” suspended their payments to the Palestinian relief organization UNRWA. What is the reason?
The facts: Twelve UNRWA employees are accused by Israel of being involved in the Hamas attack on October 7. They were immediately released by UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini in consultation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The allegations are being investigated by the UN. So, everything is on an orderly legal track. There is no reason whatsoever to stop the indispensable humanitarian aid provided by the 30,000 UNRWA employees, 13,000 of whom work in the Gaza Strip.
Just one month ago, on 22 December 2023, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2720 to alleviate the severe plight of around two million people in the Gaza Strip. The Security Council “reaffirmed the obligations of the parties to the conflict under international humanitarian law, especially regarding the protection of civilians and civilian objects, safety of humanitarian personnel, and the provision of humanitarian assistance”. The Council demanded that the parties “allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip”. All available access and transportation routes should be used to deliver fuel, food and medical supplies to the coastal area. Furthermore, the Council called for the “expeditious” establishment of a UN mechanism to accelerate aid consignments to Gaza through states that are not party to the conflict. (United Nations: “Security Council adopts important resolution on Gaza crisis; Russia, US abstain”, UN News: https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/12/1145022).
In its ruling of 26 January 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) confirmed Israel’s obligations as an occupying power to ensure that the population of the Gaza Strip is adequately supplied. An immediate cessation of hostilities is an indispensable prerequisite for this to be possible at all (for the time being only in fractions!). However, Israel is not implementing either the Security Council resolution or the ICJ ruling.
UNRWA offers maximum guarantee
for the implementation of
Resolution 2720 (2023) and the ICJ ruling
The fact is that UNRWA is, alongside the ICRC, the organization that is most committed to implementing these two decisions (which were actually imposed on Israel), despite the most adverse circumstances. Its employees risk their lives (so far around 150 UN aid workers have been killed in the Gaza war) to provide as much help as possible. To this end, they must of course cooperate with both the civilian authorities of Hamas as well as with the Israeli army and the soldiers at the checkpoints – as is well known, there is no other way in war.
What are the consequences of the impending interruption of payments to UNRWA? UN Secretary-General António Guterres warns that without the financial contributions, large parts of UNRWA’s activities would have to be suspended as early as February – i.e., immediately! For the population in the Gaza Strip, which is suffering from war, hunger, epidemics and a lack of medical aid, this is a catastrophe that cannot be coped with. This was confirmed by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on 30 January: according to him “UNRWA has played and continues to play an absolutely indispensable role in trying to make sure that men, women and children who so desperately need assistance in Gaza actually get it”. This was contradicted by the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, on the same day: “We need to see fundamental changes before we can resume providing funding for UNRWA.” Which is the case now?
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is someone who speaks straightforwardly and does what he says. His speech to the UN Security Council on 8 December 2023, in which he urgently called on the international community to work towards an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and a future peace solution, because this is the only way that all Israelis and Palestinians will find peace and security, must deeply touch everyone. In this day and age, we do not have many elected officials of the stature of this personality.
After many Western states announced the suspension of their payments to UNRWA, Secretary-General Guterres received 35 representatives of UN member states and the EU on 30 January and tried to persuade the donor countries to continue their payments to UNRWA. It is to be hoped that the USA and its satellites will remember their direct responsibility for the untenable situation of the people in the Gaza Strip.
Responsibility of the
Western world – including Switzerland
We citizens and our politicians in Western countries should be aware that we are partly responsible for the untenable situation of the people in the Middle East. By supplying weapons to Israel, which is already a far superior war power, the USA, Great Britain and other countries are helping to prolong the war and the misery of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. But we citizens must also speak out against injustice. “Silence is not an option”, writes international law expert Professor Alfred de Zayas in Current Concerns on 30 January 2024. We must demand that Resolution 2720 is complied with by all parties involved and that the Israeli government implements the measures imposed on it by the International Court of Justice. If we want to be friends of the Israeli people, we must also be friends of the Palestinian people. Only then is peace possible.
As far as Switzerland is concerned, it is shabby to put obstacles in the way of UNRWA because some of its tens of thousands of employees are accused of committing a crime. In Switzerland, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council (FAC-N) temporarily froze all payments to UNRWA on 30 January. The committee will invite experts to its next meeting to discuss how Switzerland’s commitment there should continue. The FAC of the Council of States will discuss this on 12 February. Swiss parliamentarians are recommended to read the statement by South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor in the National Assembly of the Republic of South Africa on 7 November 2023 (see Current Concerns of 30 January 2024) and the aforementioned speech by Antònio Guterres. •
Sources: “Krieg in Nahost: Uno-Generalsekretär Guterres trifft UNRWA-Geberländer” (War in the Middle East: UN Secretary-General Guterres meets UNRWA donor countries) +++ “Palästinenser-Hilfswerk ist laut US-Aussenminister Blinken ‘absolut unerlässlich’” (Palestinian aid organisation is ‘absolutely essential’ according to US Secretary of State Blinken. NZZ-editorial board. 30 January 2024 (live); Passenheim, Antje. “Trotz Skandals: UN-Chef Guterres wirbt bei Gebern um Geld für UNRWA” (Despite scandal: UN chief Guterres appeals to donors for money for UNRWA). Deutschlandfunk of 31 January 2024; UN Secretary-General remarks on Israel. Palestine Crisis – Security Council – United Nations
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