Newly elected UK government resumes funding for UNRWA to aid Gaza

By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) — British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced on Friday that the UK will lift the pause on funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency, the key aid delivery body operating in Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary said to parliament: “Humanitarian aid is a moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe and it is aid agencies who ensure UK support reaches civilians on the ground. UNRWA is absolutely central to these efforts. No other agency can get aid into Gaza at the scale needed.”

In January 2024, alongside other donors including the European Union and United States, the UK said it would pause future funding decisions on UNRWA in response to allegations that “several” UNRWA staff were involved in the Oct. 7 assault against Israel.

The announcement brings the UK into line with partners such as Germany, the EU, Sweden, Japan, France and other donors.

In his first statement to the parliament, Lammy outlined that the UK will release £21 million ($27 million) to support its lifesaving work in Gaza and the provision of basic services in the region.

Meanwhile, Development Minister Anneliese Dodds is also scheduled to meet UNRWA Commissioner General Lazzarini on Friday to discuss how the funding will support UNRWA’s work and “condemn the killing of almost 200 UNRWA workers in the conflict.”

Dodds said the situation in Gaza is “intolerable and unacceptable and urgent action is needed to alleviate the suffering of civilians there.”

“UNRWA is the only agency that can deliver lifesaving humanitarian aid at the scale needed. But it can only operate effectively if it has access to the whole of Gaza and it is safe for UNRWA staff to work there,” she added.