Friday’s decision to ‘unpause’ $6m in funding to Unrwa follows similar moves by Canada and Sweden
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, announced on Friday that Australia would ‘upause’ its funding the the Palestinian aid agency UNRWA.The foreign minister, Penny Wong, announced on Friday that Australia would ‘upause’ its funding the the Palestinian aid agency UNRWA.Australia is reinstating funding to a key UN aid agency amid concerns about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, while calling on Israel to allow lifesaving supplies into the besieged territory “now”.
But the Israeli ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, said it was “very disappointing to learn Australia is reinstating funding to the discredited Unrwa, especially before the UN’s own review is finalised later this month”. Wong said Australia had advice that additional safeguards could “sufficiently protect Australian taxpayer funding”.
The shadow foreign minister, Simon Birmingham, questioned how the assurances from Unrwa could be enforced and accused the government of “acting out of step with the US”. The Israeli government has argued that Unrwa is “part of the problem and will not be part of the solution in the Gaza Strip”.