Israel Sweden stops support for UNRWA
Sweden is stopping its payments to the Palestinian relief organization UNRWA and instead wants to provide more support to the people in the Gaza Strip in other ways.
20.12.2024, 11:12
SDA
This was announced by the Swedish government in Stockholm. It is doubling its targeted support for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the region to 800 million Swedish kronor (just under 65 million Swiss francs) for the year 2025. The money will go to other UN organizations such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and the children's charity Unicef.
According to TV4, one of the reasons for the move is Israel's decision, criticized by Sweden, to ban UNRWA from operating on Israeli territory. The ban is due to come into force at the end of January. This will make it more difficult to reach the civilian population, Swedish Development Aid Minister Benjamin Dousa told the broadcaster.
According to the government, Sweden has been one of UNRWA's largest donors for many years. The organization has received a total of 451 million crowns from the Scandinavian EU country this year.
