On Friday, Canada announced renewed support for UNRWA following a decision to suspend funding over Israeli allegations.
“Canada is resuming its funding to UNRWA so more can be done to respond to the urgent needs of Palestinian civilians,” said Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development.
The decision to suspend funding came after Israel claimed that 12 UNRWA staff members were involved in a Hamas attack on 7 October.
The agency had earlier said it was investigating the allegations, and a statement from Global Service Canada said it “commends the independent review of UNRWA currently underway, led by Catherine Colonna, and anticipates reviewing the report assessing UNRWA’s neutrality mechanisms.”
Notwithstanding, the statement also underlined the “vital role” UNRWA plays by “providing over 2 million people with humanitarian relief,” and hailed “crucial operations supporting 4 million people elsewhere in the region.”
Canada further urged all parties to “allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need.”
However, Canada was particularly focused on the organisation’s further work: “Canada expects UNRWA to meet its obligations and uphold the UN’s value of neutrality: this is an essential component of UNRWA’s mandate.”
The statement also noted the side of humanitarian law and called on both parties to the conflict to “allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need.”
“Canada is committed to a two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace and security, with dignity and without fear,” it noted.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) welcomed the announcement. NCCM head Stephen Brown said: “There are no other agencies that can replicate UNRWA’s central role in the humanitarian response in Gaza.”
Israel launched a retaliatory offensive on Gaza after a Hamas attack on 7 October. The offensive has caused over 30,800 deaths and some 73,000 injuries amid widespread destruction and shortages of basic necessities.
The UN estimates that approximately 85 percent of Gazans have been displaced by the Israeli offensive amid severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.
