By : staff writer
Jordan Daily – Palestinian refugees face more economic and service hardships after several Western countries suspended their aid to the U.N. agency that supports them, UNRWA, following allegations of staff involvement in a Hamas attack, a think tank director said on Thursday.
Ahmed Awad, of Phenix Center for Economics & Informatics Studies told Al-Ghad newspaper that the decision by the United States, Britain, Germany and others was biased, unethical and violated international law.
Israel accuses at least 12 of UNRWA’s 30,000 regional staff of taking part in the attack and has shared information with the agency and some donors. UNRWA has fired several employees and launched an investigation.
He said UNRWA, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, was established by a U.N. resolution in 1949 to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians until a permanent and comprehensive solution to their plight was reached.
“The United Nations and the countries that fall under it have a duty to commit to enabling the Palestinian refugees to live and relief,” he said.
Awad said the funding cuts came at a critical time for the refugees, especially in the Gaza Strip, which suffered from widespread destruction and displacement.
UNRWA, which relies almost entirely on voluntary donations, provides aid, education and health care to 5.9 million Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.