BRUSSELS – On Thursday, the Belgian government
decided not to suspend support for UNRWA, aligning with the
International Court of Justice’s (
ICJ) ruling to allow unimpeded access to humanitarian aid in the
Gaza Strip, Al-Mamlaka TV reported.
اضافة اعلان
Nicolas Fierens Gevaert, the official
spokesperson of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and
Development Cooperation, stated that Belgium’s current choice to
continue funding UNRWA is due to urgent humanitarian needs and the looming threat of
famine in the region. This decision also follows the recent ruling by the ICJ,
which emphasized the importance of facilitating humanitarian assistance to Gaza
without obstacles.
“Belgium provided 13.5 million euros in
funding to UNRWA in 2023,” stated Gevaert.
Of this amount, 7 million euros were allocated
for general operations, while 4.5 million euros were designated for specific
projects. In response to the outbreak of the current war and humanitarian
crisis in Gaza, the Belgian government decided to provide an additional 1
million euros.
However, Belgium is awaiting the results of an
investigation into possible links between UNRWA staff and Hamas.
Gevaert clarified that the decision to
maintain UNRWA funding does not imply that Belgium dismisses Israel’s claims
outright. Brussels intends to closely monitor the internal investigation
initiated by the UN and urges UNRWA to provide full transparency and enhance
vetting procedures for its employees.
Additionally, Belgium supports the European
Commission’s call for an external review of UNRWA’s accounts.
In parallel, UN Secretary-General António
Guterres has appointed an independent review group to assess UNRWA’s efforts to
maintain neutrality. The external independent review will run concurrently with
an ongoing investigation by the UN
Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS)
into the claims involving 12 UNRWA employees.
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