A U A Tuesday, January 30, 2024 04:00 AM
“It is shocking that the agency’s funding has been suspended in response to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action the agency took to terminate their contracts and request an independent and transparent investigation,” said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.
In a statement distributed by the UNRWA office in Cairo, Lazzarini stressed that UNRWA is the main humanitarian agency in Gaza, as more than two million people depend on it for their survival.
He added: “Many people feel hungry at a time when the clock is ticking towards a looming famine,” explaining that the agency runs shelters for more than a million people and works to provide food and primary health care even at the height of hostilities.
UNRWA had received information from the Israeli authorities about allegations of the participation of a number of agency employees in the October 7 attacks. To protect the agency’s ability to continue providing humanitarian aid, it terminated the contracts of those employees and opened an investigation to uncover the truth without any delay. This matter is being looked into by the office. United Nations Internal Oversight Services, which is the highest investigative authority in the United Nations system.
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2024-01-30 02:00:00
