International Courant
Montreal, Canada – Canada has introduced it’s lifting a freeze on funding for the UN Company for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) after going through fierce criticism for slicing assist throughout Israel’s warfare in Gaza.
In a rack On Friday, Canadian Worldwide Improvement Minister Ahmed Hussen mentioned the federal government was “resuming its funding to UNRWA in order that extra will be completed to reply to the pressing wants of Palestinian residents.”
Canada had joined the USA and several other different nations in slicing UNRWA funding in late January after Israel accused a couple of dozen of the group’s greater than 13,000 staff in Gaza of collaborating in a Hamas assault on October 7.
UNRWA instantly dismissed the staff concerned and introduced it might open an investigation into the allegations, which it described as “surprising” and “critical”. UN Secretary Normal Antonio Guterres additionally appointed an impartial panel to research.
Nevertheless, Israel has supplied no concrete proof to assist its accusations. Additionally the Canadian broadcaster CBC Information reported In early February, Canada introduced that no intelligence companies supported this declare earlier than deciding to chop funding.
The choice to chop funding to UNRWA – which depends on authorities contributions to fund its operations within the occupied Palestinian territories, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon – sparked quick concern and calls from human rights defenders for a reconsideration.
UNRWA can also be the principle group delivering important humanitarian provides to Palestinians within the Gaza Strip, the place Israel’s ongoing bombings and sieges have killed greater than 30,000 folks and led to widespread starvation and illness.
Humanitarian teams had warned that cuts to UNRWA funding would have dire penalties for Palestinians in Gaza and urged donor nations to reverse their choices.
Since then, the state of affairs within the Gaza Strip has continued to deteriorate as Israeli army assaults proceed. A few dozen Palestinian youngsters have died in latest weeks attributable to an absence of meals and water in Gaza, in line with well being authorities within the coastal enclave.
Palestinians collect to examine a destroyed constructing after an Israeli assault on Deir el-Balah on March 8 (Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Company)
‘Reckless political determination’
On Friday afternoon, Canadian human rights activists welcomed the federal government’s determination to elevate the freeze on UNRWA funding, however harassed that the cash mustn’t have been minimize within the first place.
“Resuming help to UNRWA is a much-needed determination, and it might not have been attainable with out the essential advocacy from throughout civil society,” mentioned Thomas Woodley, president of the advocacy group Canadians for Justice and Peace within the Center East .
“Minister Hussen’s cancellation of funding was a reckless political determination that ought to by no means have been made. Canada’s irresponsible actions threatened to break down Gaza’s assist infrastructure, endangering the lives of tens of millions of individuals,” Woodley mentioned in an announcement.
“Canada should considerably enhance funding to UNRWA to offset the hurt its actions have triggered to the folks of Gaza.”
Authorities contributed $66.5 million ($90 million Canadian) to UNRWA from 2019 to mid-2023. Additionally in Ottawa final June introduced that it might present as a lot as US$74 million (C$100 million) to the company over 4 years to assist fund schooling, well being care and different companies.
Canadian media have reported that the subsequent tranche of that financing – about $18 million ($25 million Canadian) – is due in April.
In the meantime, the pinnacle of the Nationwide Council of Canadian Muslims additionally famous Friday that “there are not any different companies that may duplicate UNRWA’s central function within the humanitarian response in Gaza.”
“Whereas funding mustn’t have been suspended within the first place, the federal government at the moment made the fitting determination by renewing and growing funding,” the group’s chief govt Stephen Brown mentioned in an announcement.
Press Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s authorities confronted strain from pro-Israel foyer teams to freeze UNRWA funding. Members of Trudeau’s personal Liberal Celebration had additionally urged him to withhold the cash.
Professional-Israel liberal lawmakers Anthony Housefather and Marco Mendicino mentioned Thursday in a letter that they really useful “that Canada work carefully with the USA and different allies.”
They urged the federal government to “deploy various companions and create new devices for humanitarian help that can meaningfully attain the residents of Gaza within the quick time period.”
However consultants and humanitarian teams have mentioned UNRWA is finest suited to supply much-needed assist to Palestinians in Gaza.
At a press convention on Friday afternoon, Hussen mentioned the choice to renew funding was “a recognition of the essential and critical processes that the United Nations has undertaken to handle the issues inside UNRWA.”
It additionally is available in recognition of “the crucial function UNRWA performs in offering much-needed assist to greater than two million Palestinians in Gaza, in addition to… tens of millions extra within the broader area,” Hussen informed reporters.
Palestinians in Gaza are ravenous in catastrophic situations. The necessity for life-saving assist has by no means been extra pressing.
Immediately’s announcement by Canada on the resumption of funding to the United Nations Aid and Works Company (UNRWA) will save lives.
There are not any different… pic.twitter.com/lYQalSibi1
— NCCM (@nccm) March 8, 2024
Canada lifts freeze on UNRWA funding after weeks of protests, criticism | Israeli Warfare on Gaza Information
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