UN rapporteur welcomes Spain’s decision to not suspend UNRWA funding

GENEVA (AA) – The UN rapporteur on Palestine has welcomed Spain’s decision not to suspend its funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) over Israeli accusations that a handful of the staffers of the humanitarian organization may have been involved in the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

“The Spanish government’s decision not to suspend funding to UNRWA demonstrates wisdom and reflects the country’s far-reaching perspective, as well as its moral high ground among European countries on international law and conflict resolution,” Francesca Albanese said on X.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares earlier said Spain will maintain its support for the UNRWA, calling the UN agency “‘indispensable,” and that the funding helps “alleviate the terrible humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

Albares said Madrid will be following the agency’s internal investigation closely, but highlighted the inquiry is looking at the acts of “around a dozen people out of UNRWA’s 30,000 workers.”

At least 12 countries – Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Finland, Australia, the UK, Netherlands, the US, France, Austria and Japan – have suspended funds for the agency established in 1949 to cater to Palestinian refugees across the Middle East which is involved in primary and vocational education, primary healthcare, relief and social services, infrastructure and camp improvement, and emergency response.

Much of the 2.3 million population in Gaza, where Israeli attacks since October 7 have killed more than 26,000 people besides mass displacement and destruction, depends on the agency’s humanitarian operation.

UNRWA says contracts of the accused staff members have been terminated and an investigation launched.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged donor states to reconsider their UNRWA funding withdrawals.