The government is now paying out 100 million kronor to Unrwa – the UN's aid organization for Palestinian refugees.
We want these aid funds to reach all the women and children who are suffering in Gaza, says Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell (M).
In March, Sweden sent 200 million kronor to Unrwa. Now an additional 100 million of the total 400 million kronor to be paid out in 2024 are being sent. The reason is the acute humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Sweden and many other countries stopped aid to the aid organization at the end of 2023 after allegations that employees had participated in terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7.
Johan Forssell emphasizes that the allegations against some of Unrwa's employees are still being investigated and are "extremely serious".
The aid was resumed in the spring after Unrwa took measures to increase transparency and strengthen the screening of its staff. Johan Forssell believes that a major donor like Sweden (the fifth largest in Europe) has a responsibility to ensure that the money is used correctly.
What are the new measures?
Unrwa, for example, screens its employees against various sanctions lists. Those who end up on the EU's lists are individuals who have committed serious crimes. A serious aid organization should not have anything to do with that. Now, they also ensure that they share that information with Sweden, something they did not previously require.
