On Friday 1 March, the European Commission announced that it had decided to allocate an additional €68 million to support the Palestinian population across the region, to be implemented through partners like the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
The Commission also announced that it will proceed to paying €50 million of the funds allocated to UNRWA in 2024, out of the €82 million envelope next week (see EUROPE 13348/1).
The Commission has assessed its funding decision for UNRWA in the light of the very serious allegations that implicate several staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the 7 October attacks (see EUROPE 13338/9). On 29 January, it asked UNRWA to take several measures. The UN agency has indicated that it stands ready to ensure that a review of its staff is carried out to confirm they did not participate in the attacks and that further controls are in place to mitigate such risks in the future.
UNRWA has also agreed to the launch of an audit of the Agency - to be conducted by EU-appointed external experts, who will review the control systems to prevent the possible involvement of its staff and assets in terrorist activities - and to the strengthening of its department of internal investigations and the governance surrounding it. “UNRWA and the Commission have today confirmed their understanding on these points”, the Commission said in a press release. This made it possible to release the funds.
The second and third tranches of €16 million will be released in line with the implementation of this agreement, the Commission said.
In addition to its support for UNRWA, the Commission announced that it will allocate an additional €68 million to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians for 2024 in Gaza and the region.
On Friday 1 March, it contracted the first tranche of €16 million of the €125 million in humanitarian aid to the Palestinians for 2024 (see EUROPE 13310/31). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)