All articles tagged with #aid suspension
Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah Crossing during a humanitarian trip to Egypt amid Israel's suspension of aid groups in Gaza, citing security concerns, while aid agencies warn of worsening conditions and urgent needs for medical supplies and aid delivery in the region.
An Israeli intelligence dossier alleging UNRWA staff involvement in attacks lacks hard evidence, prompting multiple countries to suspend aid as the UN investigates. The dossier claims 12 UNRWA employees have ties to Hamas and accuses around 190 employees of being terrorist operatives, leading to the firing of nine workers. The US and other countries have suspended aid pending the investigation, while some, like Norway, Portugal, and Spain, continue to support UNRWA despite the allegations.
The European Union faced confusion and backlash after one of its top officials, Oliver Varhelyi, announced on social media that aid to the Palestinians had been suspended due to the recent attack on Israel by Hamas. Other EU countries questioned the authority of Varhelyi's commission and expressed concerns about the impact on Palestinian civilians. After several hours, the EU reversed course, stating that there would be no suspension of payments as there were no payments foreseen. The EU emphasized that humanitarian aid would continue and that a review would be conducted to ensure aid does not benefit terrorist organizations.
The European Union faced backlash from member countries after announcing the suspension of aid to Palestinians in response to the recent attack on Israel by Hamas. EU countries criticized the bloc's executive for overstepping its authority and expressed concern about the impact on Palestinian civilians. Following the outcry, the EU backtracked on the announcement, stating that there would be no suspension of payments. The confusion highlighted longstanding divisions within the EU over the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Germany and Austria suspended their development aid, while other countries like Italy refused to discuss suspending aid. The EU is one of the main sources of aid to the Palestinian territories, where around 2.1 million people require humanitarian assistance.
Austria has suspended its aid to Palestinians in response to Hamas's attack on Israel, while Germany is reviewing its support. Austria's ruling conservatives have taken a pro-Israel stance, and the country will freeze payments totaling around €19 million for various projects. Germany, on the other hand, has not made any payments but is in the process of reviewing its aid. Both countries are assessing their projects and consulting with partners before deciding on further action.
The World Food Programme (WFP) will suspend food aid to over 200,000 Palestinians from next month due to a "severe" shortage of funds, the group's senior official for the Palestinian territories said on Sunday. The most impacted families are in the Gaza Strip, where food insecurity and poverty are the highest, and in the West Bank. Unless funding is received, WFP will be forced to suspend food and cash assistance entirely by August due to security concerns with Hamas.