Ireland announces $21.5M for UN agency for Palestinian refugees

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Ireland announced Є20 million ($21.5 million) for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), local media reported on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini in the capital city of Dublin, Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin said: "I urge other donors to resume and expand support to UNRWA so that it can deliver for the millions of Palestinian refugees in need,” according to the public broadcaster RTE.

Lazzarini, for his part, warned that the agency’s works would be “compromised” as from March if it fails to secure fresh funding or convince donors to resume suspended contributions.

Last week, Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he plans to cancel tax exemptions for UNRWA.

The agency is yet to comment on the Israeli plans.

Israel claims that 12 staff members of the UN agency were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

Several countries, including the US, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Canada, have suspended funding for the UNRWA following the Israeli accusations.

The UN agency said it is investigating these allegations.

Established in 1949 to help Palestinian refugees across the Middle East, the UNRWA enjoys customs and tax exemptions on imported products for the agency’s operations. It is also exempted from VAT and taxes on fuel purchases for organizational purposes.

The UN agency’s expenditures in Gaza and the West Bank are estimated at around $600 million annually.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on Gaza on Oct. 7, killing more than 28,600 Palestinians and injuring 67,147 others, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.