BEIRUT: The director of the United Nations company for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon mentioned on Wednesday (Jan 29) that the company had not been affected by US President Donald Trump’s halt to US overseas support funding or by an Israeli ban on its operations.
“UNRWA at present will not be receiving any US funding so there isn’t a direct influence of the more moderen choices associated to the UN system for UNRWA,” Dorothee Klaus advised reporters at UNRWA’s area workplace in Lebanon.
US funding to UNRWA was suspended final yr till March 2025 underneath a deal reached by US lawmakers and after Israel accused 12 of the company’s 13,000 staff in Gaza of taking part within the lethal Oct 7, 2023, Hamas assault that triggered the Gaza conflict.
The UN has mentioned it had fired 9 UNRWA workers who could have been concerned and mentioned it could examine all accusations made.
Klaus mentioned that UNRWA Lebanon had additionally positioned 4 workers members on administrative go away because it investigated allegations they’d breached the UN precept of neutrality.
One UNRWA trainer had already been suspended final yr and a Hamas commander in Lebanon – killed in September in an Israeli strike – was discovered to have had a UNRWA job.
Klaus additionally mentioned there was “no direct influence” on the company’s Lebanon operations from a brand new Israeli legislation banning UNRWA operations in East Jerusalem, the West Financial institution and the Gaza Strip and that “UNRWA will proceed absolutely working in Lebanon”.
The legislation, adopted in October, bans UNRWA’s operation on Israeli land – together with East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in a transfer not acknowledged internationally – and call with Israeli authorities from Jan 30.
UNRWA gives support, well being and schooling providers to thousands and thousands within the Palestinian territories and neighbouring Arab nations of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
Its commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini mentioned on Tuesday that UNRWA has been the goal of a “fierce disinformation marketing campaign” to “painting the company as a terrorist organisation”.
