Spain to provide extra 3.5M euros to UNRWA for Palestinians

The United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees, UNRWA, will get an extra 3.5 million euros from Spain, following Portugal’s announcement of an additional one million in aid

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares informed MPs on Monday that Spain is to provide an extra 3.5 million euros in help to the United Nations’ Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA.

Significant financing for UNRWA was halted by the US and Germany, among other countries like the US, following reports that perhaps 12 of the organization’s tens of thousands of Palestinian employees may have been involved in the October 7 assaults in Israel carried out by Hamas.

In his address to Members of Parliament, Albares emphasized the dire circumstances facing UNRWA, stating “UNRWA’s situation is desperate and there is a serious risk that its humanitarian activities will be paralyzed in Gaza within a few weeks,”

In 2023, Madrid gave UNRWA a direct contribution of 18.5 million euros, of which 10 million were authorized in December as a result of the decision to quadruple development and humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territories.

On Friday, neighboring Portugal also announced additional aid to UNRWA worth one million euros. Foreign Minister Joao Cravinho wrote on social media platform X it was essential “not to turn our backs on the Palestinian population at this difficult time”.

Source: Reuters