British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced that the UK will restart funding to UNRWA in order to get aid as quickly as possible to those who need it in Gaza, a statement issued by the British Embassy in Amman said.
In statement to MPs, Lammy said UK aid funding to Gaza is a ‘moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe’.
The Foreign Secretary also reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire to secure the release of hostages and end the suffering in Gaza, following his visit to the region earlier this week.
The Foreign Secretary has announced that the UK will lift the pause on funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the key aid delivery body operating in Gaza.
In his first statement to MPs, the Foreign Secretary outlined that the UK will release £21 million to support its lifesaving work in Gaza and the provision of basic services in the region.
This funding will go towards UNRWA’s flash appeal for Gaza and the West Bank, which focuses its resources on emergency food, shelter and other support for 3 million people, as well as its wider work supporting 6 million Palestinian refugees across the region.
The UK’s funding for UNRWA was paused in light of allegations by Israel that 12 staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel.
Following an independent review by Catherine Colonna, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, and the subsequent action plan UNRWA has provided setting out detailed management reforms, the government is confident that UNRWA is taking action to ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality.
Today’s announcement brings the UK into line with partners such as Germany, the EU, Sweden, Japan, France and other donors.
UNRWA is the main provider of humanitarian relief within Gaza, and other UN and humanitarian actors depend on UNRWA’s distribution network to get aid to those who need it most. UNRWA has provided 1.15 million people facing devastating hunger in Gaza with food parcels.
Source: Petra News Agency
