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Japan suspends funding to UN Palestinian refugee agency

World

Japan suspends funding to UN Palestinian refugee agency

By Agence France-Presse

TOKYO, Japanâ€”Japan said it is joining other countries in suspending funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees following Israeli charges that some UNRWA staff took part in Hamas's October 7 attack.

AFP__20240128__34GZ939__v2__Preview__FilesMideastPalestinianIsraelGazaAidUnrwa.jpg — (FILES) Palestinian refugees carry food aid they received from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on April 24, 2008 in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. France announced on January 28, 2024 that it does not plan any new funding to UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA for the first trimester of 2024.
(Photo by Said KHATIB / AFP)

The agency has fired several staff over Israel's accusations and promised a thorough investigation into the claims, which were not specified, while Israel has vowed to stop the agency's work in Gaza after the war.

Several of the agency's top donors including the United States and Germany have since halted funding to UNRWA, which has been at the heart of humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

Japan said late Sunday it was "extremely concerned about the alleged involvement of UNRWA staff members in the terror attack on Israel on October 7 last year."

"In response, Japan has decided to suspend additional funding to UNRWA for the time being while UNRWA conducts an investigation into the matter and considers measures to address the allegations," a foreign ministry statement said.

"At the same time, Japan will continue to make persistent and active diplomatic efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and to calm down the situation as soon as possible by providing support to other international organizations," it added.

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