Norway Allocates $24.5 Million to UNRWA

Gaza is in ruins, and UNRWA is needed more than ever. The fact that Israeli laws, which can effectively prevent UNRWA from operating in Palestine, are coming into force is extremely dramatic. This is particularly serious at a time when all efforts should be directed towards implementing the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, said Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.

"It is now crucial that the international community provides UNRWA with political and financial support so that all Palestine refugees in the region can continue to receive vital assistance and services," he added.

Today, Norway is transferring USD 24.5 million (NOK 275 million) to UNRWA. The Norwegian contribution will finance UNRWA's efforts for six million Palestine refugees in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

UNRWA is in a serious crisis after the Israeli parliament passed laws last autumn that can effectively make it impossible for UNRWA to operate in Palestine. The laws come into force on 30 January.

"The needs in Gaza are enormous. Around one million people in Gaza are entirely dependent on UNRWA for basic services such as education, healthcare and food. If UNRWA must halt its operations in Palestine, 330,000 children and young people in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, will lose the opportunity to attend school. Women and girls will be particularly affected, as UNRWA focuses on gender equality," said Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Kristiansen Tvinnereim.

Last autumn, Norway submitted a resolution to the UN General Assembly requesting the International Court of Justice to clarify Israel's legal obligations under international law to facilitate the provision of emergency aid and essential services to Palestinians living under occupation. 

The resolution was adopted with an overwhelming majority of 137 UN member states. Due to the urgency of the matter, the Court is prioritizing the case. Norway will actively contribute to this process.

"In addition to the rights and needs of the Palestinians, the resolution is about defending the UN, international law and humanitarian principles. When the UN General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949, the international community committed to ensuring the basic needs of Palestine refugees until a political solution between Israel and the Palestinians is in place. We cannot abandon this responsibility now," said Eide.

UN agencies and other organizations working in Gaza rely on UNRWA's staff and network to distribute aid to the population. UNRWA has been responsible for 60 percent of food deliveries in Gaza since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect.

"UNRWA is the backbone of all humanitarian efforts in Gaza. They are a crucial actor in effectively implementing the ceasefire. Given the current situation in Gaza, neither the Palestinian government nor other organizations can assume UNRWA's responsibilities. I fear that the refugees will lose hope and that the Middle East will become even more unstable," said Tvinnereim.

UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly in 1949. The organization’s mandate is to protect and meet the basic needs of Palestine refugees, including food, education, healthcare, and shelter.