Canada lifting freeze on UNRWA funding after weeks of protests, criticism | Israel Conflict on Gaza Information

Montreal, Canada – Canada has introduced it’s lifting a freeze on funding for the United Nations company for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), after dealing with fierce criticism for chopping help throughout Israel’s battle in Gaza.

In a assertion on Friday, Canadian Minister of Worldwide Growth Ahmed Hussen mentioned the federal government is “resuming its funding to UNRWA so extra may be achieved to reply to the pressing wants of Palestinian civilians”.

Canada had joined the USA and several other different nations in chopping funding to UNRWA in late January, after Israel accused a couple of dozen of the company’s greater than 13,000 workers in Gaza of participating in a Hamas assault on October 7.

UNRWA instantly sacked the workers in query and introduced that it was opening a probe into the allegations, which it described as “surprising” and “critical”. UN Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres additionally appointed an impartial panel to analyze.

Israel, nevertheless, didn’t present concrete proof to again up its allegations. Canadian broadcaster CBC Information additionally reported in early February that Canada had not seen any intelligence backing the declare earlier than it determined to chop the funding.

The choice to chop funding for UNRWA — which depends on authorities contributions to fund its operations within the occupied Palestinian territories, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon — drew rapid concern and calls from rights advocates to rethink.

UNRWA is also the important thing company offering vital humanitarian provides to Palestinians within the Gaza Strip, the place Israel’s continued bombardment and siege have killed greater than 30,000 folks and led to widespread starvation and illness.

Humanitarian teams had warned that chopping UNRWA funding would have dire repercussions for Palestinians in Gaza and urged donor nations to reverse their choices.

Since then, the scenario within the Strip has deteriorated additional, as Israeli navy assaults proceed. A couple of dozen Palestinian youngsters have died in current weeks attributable to a scarcity of meals and water in Gaza, based on well being authorities within the coastal enclave.

‘Reckless political determination’

On Friday afternoon, Canadian human rights advocates welcomed the federal government’s determination to elevate the freeze on UNRWA funding however confused that the cash mustn’t have been minimize to start with.

“Resuming assist to UNRWA is a much-needed determination, and it might not have been potential with out the vital advocacy from throughout civil society,” mentioned Thomas Woodley, president of the advocacy group Canadians for Justice and Peace within the Center East.

“Minister Hussen’s cancellation of funding was a reckless political determination that by no means ought to have been made. Canada’s irresponsible actions threatened to break down the assist infrastructure in Gaza, placing the lives of thousands and thousands of individuals in danger,” Woodley mentioned in an announcement.

“Canada should considerably improve funding to UNRWA to compensate for the hurt its actions have precipitated to the folks of Gaza.”

The pinnacle of the Nationwide Council of Canadian Muslims additionally famous that “there are not any different businesses that may replicate UNRWA’s central position within the humanitarian response in Gaza”.

“Whereas funding mustn’t have been paused within the first place, the federal government made the correct determination as we speak by renewing and rising funding,” the group’s CEO, Stephen Brown, mentioned in an announcement.

Strain on Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s authorities had confronted stress from pro-Israel foyer teams to keep up its freeze on funding for UNRWA. Members of Trudeau’s personal Liberal Celebration additionally had urged him to withhold the funds.

Professional-Israel Liberal legislators Anthony Housefather and Marco Mendicino mentioned in a letter on Thursday that that they had advisable “that Canada work in lockstep with the USA and different allies”.

They urged the federal government “to leverage alternate companions and to create new automobiles of humanitarian assist that may meaningfully attain the civilians of Gaza within the quick time period”.

However consultants and humanitarian teams have mentioned UNRWA is finest suited to offer much-needed help to Palestinians in Gaza.

In a information convention on Friday afternoon, Hussen mentioned the choice to renew funding was “in recognition of the numerous and critical processes that the United Nations has undertaken to handle the problems in UNRWA”.

It additionally is available in recognition of “the vital position that UNRWA performs in offering much-needed assist to over two million Palestinians in Gaza, in addition to … thousands and thousands extra within the broader area”, Hussen instructed reporters.