Sweden announced that it will stop funding the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and will start providing humanitarian aid to Gaza through other channels, reports "Reuters". Sweden's aid minister, Benjamin Dusa, confirmed that his country will support humanitarian initiatives in Gaza, but outside the framework of UNRWA, quoted by News.bg.
Sweden's decision is in response to new measures by Israel, which will ban UNRWA's activities in the country from the end of January. Israel has repeatedly accused the agency of being involved in attacks by "Hamas" against Israel in October 2023, which led to the outbreak of war in Gaza.
Instead of UNRWA, Sweden will direct its humanitarian aid to other organizations in Gaza, such as the UN World Food Program, according to the minister. Sweden will increase its overall humanitarian funding for the region in 2024.
Earlier this month, the UN General Assembly expressed its support for UNRWA and urged the smooth continuation of the agency's operations, calling on Israel to respect its mandate.