Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the Government plans to resume funding for UNRWA following the decisions of (a) Canada, (b) Australia, (c) Sweden and (d) Finland to resume their funding for that organisation.
We are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned. We have paused any future funding of UNRWA.
We remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it, including through other UN agencies and British charities.
Our decision to pause future funding to UNRWA has no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response. We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General. We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again.
We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion, not least because UNRWA has a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza.