France has planned 30 million euros for UNRWA in 2024

France announces aid of 30 million euros to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. Since Israel's accusations of 12 employees allegedly participating in the October 7 attacks, UNRWA has been on the brink of financial collapse.

Palestinian children in the courtyard of an UNRWA school in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, September 12, 2023. (Illustrative image) © AP - Mohammad Zaatari

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In recent weeks,

Sweden

, Canada and 

Finland

have resumed their payments to UNRWA, after several months of suspension. France

had not formally suspended its aid following the Israeli accusations, but no payment was planned for early 2024, according

to

Paris

. UNRWA is in charge of health, education and other services in refugee camps in the Palestinian territories,

Lebanon

,

Jordan

and

Syria

.

This Thursday, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Christophe Lemoine announced that for this year, France plans to contribute up to 30 million euros for the agency, on the condition that it fulfills its missions with neutrality. . “ 

We will pay our contributions by ensuring that the conditions are met for UNRWA to carry out its missions in a spirit devoid of calls for hatred and violence

,” he said, specifying that “ 

UNRWA plays a crucial role in Gaza and the region and it is imperative that she be able to continue her work there

 .” Last year, Paris paid 60 million euros to the agency.

Agency neutrality

Following the Israeli accusations, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed a committee to assess the neutrality of UNRWA. Its final report is due on April 20. The independent committee responsible for evaluating the neutrality of UNRWA, however, identified in its interim report “

critical areas

” that must be addressed, a UN spokesperson indicated on March 20.

About fifteen countries had suspended their contribution to UNRWA because it has been at the center of controversy since Israel accused 12 of 30,000 employees of involvement in the October 7 attack carried out by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas which led to the death of 1,160 people in Israel, mainly civilians, according to an AFP count.

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