The decision of Spain comes at a delicate moment for UNRWA after the suspension of financial support by the United States and 15 other countries.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, José Manuel Albares, announced this Thursday that the Spanish government will make an extraordinary donation of 20 million euros to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
The 20 million euros are in addition to the 3.5 million euros that were already approved on Tuesday by the Council of Ministers to enable the UN agency to maintain its assistance in Gaza and other countries in the region.
The decision of the Spanish government comes at a delicate moment for UNRWA after the suspension of financial support by the United States and 15 other countries, following allegations that a dozen of the agency’s employees were involved in the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7th.
Last week, the European Commission stated that it would continue to fund the UN agency while investigations into the alleged involvement of its staff members in the attack are ongoing.
During a press conference with Albares on Thursday, the General Coordinator of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, expressed gratitude for “Spanish solidarity” and the message it sends to other countries. The suspension of financial aid from the 16 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, has created a shortfall of approximately 411 million euros (or 450 million dollars), according to the agency.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that the work of UNRWA is a “life or death” matter for the people of Gaza, who are facing a famine in the Palestinian enclave.
