Canada lifts freeze on UNRWA funding after weeks of protests and criticism

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Montreal Canada – After going through sharp criticism for reducing assist throughout Israel's warfare in Gaza, Canada has introduced it’s lifting a freeze on funding for the United Nations Company for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

In a press release on Friday, Canadian Worldwide Growth Minister Ahmed Hussein mentioned the federal government is “resuming its funding to UNRWA so it will probably do extra to answer the pressing wants of Palestinian residents”.

Canada joined america and a number of other different nations in reducing funding to UNRWA in late January, after Israel launched an October 7 Hamas assault on a few dozen of the company's greater than 13,000 workers in Gaza. Was accused of taking.

UNRWA instantly dismissed the workers involved and introduced it was launching an investigation into the allegations, which it described as “stunning” and “critical”. UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres additionally appointed an unbiased panel to analyze.

Nonetheless, Israel didn’t present concrete proof to assist its allegations. Canadian broadcaster CBC Information additionally reported in early February that Canada had seen no intelligence supporting the declare earlier than deciding to chop funding.

The choice to chop funding for UNRWA – which is determined by authorities contributions to finance its operations within the occupied Palestinian territories, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon – drew rapid concern and rights advocates known as for a reconsideration. .

UNRWA can be the lead company offering important humanitarian provides to Palestinians within the Gaza Strip, the place Israel's sustained bombardment and siege has killed greater than 30,000 individuals and brought on widespread starvation and illness.

Humanitarian teams warned that reducing UNRWA funding would have critical penalties for Palestinians in Gaza and urged donor nations to reverse their selections.

Since then, the state of affairs within the Strip has worsened, as Israeli army assaults have continued. Almost a dozen Palestinian youngsters have died in Gaza in latest weeks resulting from lack of meals and water, based on well being officers within the coastal area.

Israeli attacks on Gaza continue
Palestinians collect to examine a constructing destroyed after an Israeli assault on Deir al-Balah on March 8 (Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Company)

'Reckless political determination'

On Friday afternoon, Canadian human rights advocates welcomed the federal government's determination to carry the freeze on UNRWA funding, however harassed that the cash shouldn’t have been reduce within the first place.

Thomas Woodley, president of the Canadian advocacy group Justice and Peace within the Center East, mentioned, “Resuming help to UNRWA is a much-needed determination, and it will not have been doable with out vital advocacy from civil society.”

“Minister Hussain’s cancellation of funding was a reckless political determination that ought to by no means have been made. Canada's irresponsible actions threaten to break down the help infrastructure in Gaza, placing thousands and thousands of lives in danger, Woodley mentioned in a press release.

“Canada should considerably improve funding to UNRWA to compensate for the hurt brought on to the individuals of Gaza by its actions.”

The top of the Nationwide Council of Canadian Muslims additionally mentioned that “there is no such thing as a different company that may replicate UNRWA's central position within the humanitarian response in Gaza”.

“Whereas funding shouldn’t have been stopped within the first place, the federal government has made the fitting determination at this time by renewing and increasing funding,” group CEO Stephen Brown mentioned in a press release.

stress on trudeau

The federal government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confronted stress from pro-Israel foyer teams to take care of the freeze on funding for UNRWA. Members of Trudeau's personal Liberal Get together had additionally urged him to cease the funds.

Professional-Israel liberal legislators Anthony Housefather and Marco Mendicino Stated In a letter Thursday he really useful that “Canada work carefully with america and different allies.”

He urged the federal government to “leverage different companions and create new technique of humanitarian help that can meaningfully attain Gaza's residents within the quick time period”.

However specialists and humanitarian teams have mentioned UNRWA is finest suited to offer wanted help to Palestinians in Gaza.

At a press convention on Friday afternoon, Hussein mentioned the choice to renew funding was “in recognition of the necessary and critical processes that the United Nations has initiated to handle the problems at UNRWA”.

It additionally is available in recognition of “the important position performed by UNRWA in offering important help to the greater than two million Palestinians in Gaza, in addition to thousands and thousands extra within the wider area,” Hussein advised reporters.

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