Government recommits to funding UNRWA as David Lammy praises ‘life-saving work’

The government will overturn the suspension of UK funding for the UN agency for Palestine

The government will overturn the suspension of UK funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA), David Lammy has said.

The foreign secretary also said Israel is in “a tough neighbourhood” and civilians in Gaza are “trapped in hell on earth” as he vowed to advance the “cause of peace” in the region.

In January of 2024 the Foreign Office paused any future funding for UNRWAdue to allegations that staff from the aid organisation had been involved in the October 7 Hamas attack which began the latest outbreak of violence in the Middle East.

David Lammy said the UK would restart funding for UNRWA (BBC)

In the nine months since, Israel has killed more than 38,600 people in the region according to the Gazan health ministry.

The war has created a humanitarian catastrophe in the coastal Palestinian territory, displaced most of its 2.3 million population and triggered widespread hunger.

UNRWA, which is the only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict, faced allegations that 12 of their staff were involved in the October 7 attack on Southern Israel that killed 1,200 people.

Catherine Colonna, the former minister of foreign affairs of France led an independent Review Group to assess whether UNRWA is “doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality”.

The review found that UNRWA has in place “a significant number of mechanisms and procedures to ensure compliance with the Humanitarian Principle of neutrality”, adding that “they probably have a more developed system than other UN organisations and agencies”.

The report did add that “there is always room for improvement and issues related to neutrality persist”.

David Lammy told MPs humanitarian aid is a ‘moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe’ (PA Wire)

On Friday, Mr Lammy told MPs that the government would recommit the UK’s funding to the aid organisation.

He told the Commons: “Humanitarian aid is a moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe and it is aid agencies who ensure UK support reaches civilians on the ground. UNRWA is absolutely central to these efforts.

“No other agency can deliver aid at the scale needed. It’s already feeding over half of Gaza’s population. It will be vital for future reconstruction and it provides critical services to Palestinian refugees in the region.

“I was appalled by the allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the seventh of October attacks. But the UN took these allegations seriously. I’ve spoken to UN secretary-general (Antonio) Guterres and commissioner (Philippe) Lazzarini.

“We are reassured that after Catherine Colonna’s independent review UNRWA is ensuring they meet the highest standards of neutrality and strengthening its procedures including unfettered.

“UNRWA has acted, partners like Japan, the European Union and Norway have also now acted, this government will act too.

“I can confirm to the House that we are overturning the suspension of UNRWA funding.

“Britain will provide 21 million in new funds, some directed at supporting the management reforms recommended by the Colonna review and UNRWA supports more than five-and-a-half million Palestinians; almost 200 of their staff have died through this conflict.

“I thank them for this life-saving work.”

One Labour MP in the Commons said it was “jarring” that none of the independent MPs elected on pro-Gaza tickets had showed up for the speech.

Calder Valley Labour MP Josh Fenton-Glynn said: “It’s Jarring that none of the independent candidates elected around the issue of Gaza are in the House of Commons for the statement.”

Foreign Secretary David Lammy hailed the work of the agency (Maja Smiejkowska/PA) (PA Wire)

The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the resumption of funding must come with “significantly increased oversight of UNRWA's activities”.

In a statement, the group said: “Ultimately, the existence of UNRWA as distinct from the UNHCR, which looks after all other refugee populations, is an anomaly that must be fixed, and the two should ultimately be folded together.”

The International Centre for Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) said the restoration of funding is “a step, but it is not good enough on its own”.

ICJP senior legal officer Dania Abul Haj said: “Many Palestinians have died as a direct result of UNRWA not being able to carry out its mandate and get aid where it needs to be. Now, more than ever, the UK has a duty to make up for the lack of support over the last few months.”

The Labour leadership were accused by some back-benchers in the party of being too slow to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and Mr Lammy said he is determined to “advance the cause of peace”.

He said: “There are those in this House who, like me, represent constituents convinced the world does not understand Israel’s predicament. To them I say, Israel is in a tough neighbourhood, threatened by those who want it annihilated.

“There is no equivalence between Israel’s democratic government and Hamas, a terrorist organisation responsible for an act of barbarism on October 7 that sought to kill countless Israelis and provoke wider conflict with Palestinians.

“I fully supported the UK role in defending Israel when Iran launched its unprecedented attack and I utterly condemn the Houthi attack on Tel Aviv overnight.

“There are also those who, like me, represent constituents convinced the world does not understand the depth of Palestinian suffering. To them I say: civilians in Gaza are trapped in hell on earth.

“And the Palestinian people have been in purgatory for decades, denied the state that is their inalienable right.

“As foreign secretary, I understand both these perspectives. I recognise the pain and anguish felt on all sides. It makes me only more determined to do all I can in this office to advance the cause of peace.”

Former Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns pressed the foreign secretary on aid entering Gaza.

She said: “On aid, has he secured any reassurances in his meetings to increase the number of trucks going into Gaza because 70-odd a day is just not enough?

“In government, we did everything we could to urge Israel to let more humanitarian aid into Gaza, opening more crossings, whether through Rafah, we trebled our own aid commitment within the last financial year, doing everything we could to get aid there by land, sea or air.”

Mr Lammy replied: “Seventy trucks a day when we know that it should be 500 is not enough, and all of this House recognise the phrase ‘flood’ – we were told in April that they would flood Gaza with aid; 70 is no way near enough.”