Unrwa, what it is and which countries have suspended funds after allegations against the UN agency

Unrwa has assisted four generations of Palestinian refugees, defined as 'persons whose usual place of residence was Palestine in the period between 1 June 1946 and 15 May 1948, and who lost both their home and their livelihood due to the 1948 war'. Descendants of refugees in Palestine, including legally adopted children, may also be registered.

When the Agency began its operations in 1950, it served the needs of approximately 750,000 Palestinian refugees. Today, some 5.9 million Palestinian refugees benefit from its services.

The group also paid a heavy price in Israel's bombardment of Gaza, with more than 150 of its staff killed in the violence.

Most of UNRWA's more than 30,000 employees are Palestinian, 13,000 of whom live in Gaza. Only 300 are international officials, the rest are local staff, mostly Palestinian refugees. The agency is therefore one of the largest employers in Gaza.

Unrwa has two headquarters, in Amman and Gaza, and five local offices (Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the West Bank).

The US State Department said on Friday that 12 Unrwa staff members were accused of having links to the 7 October attacks. The agency immediately suspended the 12 employees. The US immediately announced a stop to funding. A choice shared by Canada, Australia, Italy, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan and Austria.

The EU Commission explained that a 'review' of the dossier would be done 'in the light of the UN investigation' and announced: 'The EU is one of the largest donors of humanitarian and development aid to the Palestinians of Gaza. Humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank will continue unabated through partner organisations. No further funding to UNRWA is currently planned until the end of February. The Commission will determine the next funding decisions in light of the very serious allegations made regarding the involvement of UNRWA staff in the heinous attacks of 7 October".

According to recent financial data, over 90% of UNRWA's funding comes from 'voluntary contributions' from UN member states. The agency reported receiving over $1 billion in total donations last year. With a contribution of $344 million, the United States was the largest individual donor in 2022, followed by Germany and other European countries. Without government funding, the Agency would effectively no longer be able to operate.