A strange feeling runs through the headquarters of the United Nations Organization (UNO), in New York, because of what is heard in the speeches.
It feels like the United States suffered a rash attack when it announced the pause in its financial contribution to the agency that manages humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, UNRWA.
They made this decision almost immediately, seconded like dominoes by a string of Western countries, after learning from an Israeli report that a dozen of their employees, out of 32,000 workers, had collaborated with Hamas in the attack in Israel on October 7. Washington seems to be looking for a way to backtrack, without offering the image that it made a mistake in overzealousness.
A large group of organizations linked to the UN warned of “catastrophic consequences for the residents of Gaza” if donors do not lift this pause.
Those responsible for the World Health Organization, the World Food Program, the International Organization for Immigration, UNICEF and other institutions insisted on condemning the accusations in a joint statement. But they clarified that “we must not prevent an organization as a whole from fulfilling its mandate to serve people who desperately need it”.
At stake is more than half of the more than one billion euros of its annual budget, which is already in deficit. “UNRWA is the backbone of the entire humanitarian response in Gaza,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday, who opened an immediate investigation and remains appalled by the alleged crimes and also by the financial boycott .
He insisted that UNRWA’s work “is vital to address the direct needs of civilians in Gaza and continue services to Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.” And he reiterated: “I call on the member states to guarantee the continuity of this work to save lives. The humanitarian system in Gaza has collapsed and I am extremely concerned about the inhumane conditions facing 2.2 million people.”
Guterres conveyed this urgency to the 35 donors he met with on Tuesday. That they lift the pause is to the benefit of the Palestinians, but also to the rest of the world, because, without a humanitarian agency, the chaos will worsen the situation.
The ambassador of the United States, Linda Thomas Greenfield, made the impression this Wednesday, in a session of the Security Council, which is trying to find a way to rebuild bridges, in view of the disaster that will be caused in the strip if, as everything points, there are funds left to cover only the needs for February. “There is no doubt that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is terrible”, he remarked as he began his speech. “The credible allegations against twelve workers have undermined confidence in UNRWA,” he said. “The seriousness with which the Secretary General has addressed the crisis, by dismissing those involved, is a crucial step. And we know he is committed to pursuing greater accountability, including a prompt and credible investigation.” He stated that “we know that the agency contributes to regional stability”, whose services are vital. “I will be clear, the decision of the United States was independent of that of other donors”, he said. “It is not a punitive measure, but a call for attention. We need to see fundamental changes in UNRWA to prevent this situation from happening again”, he reiterated.
There was unanimity among the members of the Security Council regarding the crucial role of this agency. Only the representative of Israel, invited for the occasion, congratulated himself on the freezing of funds.
