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November 06, 2019The Swiss Pierre Krähenbühl, general commissioner of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (Unrwa), involved in an internal investigation for abuse of power, "resigned with immediate effect". The official announcement was made today by the UN spokesman. "The UNRWA general commissioner, Pierre Krähenbühl, informed the general secretary that he resigned with immediate effect," said Stephane Dujarric in his daily press point. The UN had previously announced that Pierre Krähenbühl had been suspended from his duties.The Unrwa case
No subtraction of funds, but "management issues that need to be addressed". This is what emerges from a preliminary internal investigation of the United Nations pending the conclusion of the investigation into the management of the organization. The preliminary results of a report by the United Nations Internal Control Office, the DPA news agency underlines, "exclude fraud or misappropriation of operational funds by the general commissioner. There are, however, issues managerial skills that must be addressed ". According to the DPA, the United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has put Krähenbühl on hold, waiting for "these questions to be further clarified so that he can make a final decision and take any appropriate action".
Saunders arrives
Guterres appointed the British Christian Saunders, who was given an interim assignment, in place of Krähenbühl. UNRWA provides assistance and protection to five million Palestinian refugees in the Middle East. At the end of July, a report by the UNRWA ethics department, sent to the UN General Secretariat, noted the mismanagement and abuse of power by a small group of senior officials who would have bypassed UN control mechanisms.
Israel: Unrwa is part of the problem
The conduct of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, "shows that this is a part of the problem and not its solution. The agency perpetuates the refugee problem in a clear political way, thus eliminating any solution" . Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said this after Krähenbühl's resignation. For Katz another way must be found for "a humanitarian response".