Letter to Sweeden government
Geneva, December 26th 2024
Object: Cessation of Funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)
Excellencies.
Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden
Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Benjamin Dousa, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade
For years, Israel has been using various diplomatic and political means to end the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). After October 7, 2023, Israel once again called for the termination of UNRWA and demanded that the United States and Western countries stop funding the agency, accusing 12 Palestinian employees from Gaza of participating in the October 7 attack without providing any evidence to support this claim. Following the formation of a United Nations committee to verify Israel’s allegations, the committee confirmed that no evidence existed to support Israel’s claims.
Israel’s systematic campaign against UNRWA in Gaza has continued, intensifying its targeting of its institutions and employees for over a year.
UNRWA has humanitarian and developmental tasks, which have been repeatedly renewed by the United Nations General Assembly, to provide assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees until their return to their homes from which they were displaced. These tasks include, particularly, basic education, healthcare, social services, relief, and emergency assistance, including during armed conflict.
For over seven decades, UNRWA has been the primary provider of services to Palestinian refugees, offering them educational, healthcare, and social services.
UNRWA cannot be replaced or substituted for the purposes of human and economic development for the Palestinian people. The United Nations General Assembly is the only body that has oversight of UNRWA, can guide its operations, or amend its mandate. Israel, or any other country, has no authority whatsoever to intervene in UNRWA’s mandate or operations under any circumstances.
Palestinian refugees, especially in Gaza, are experiencing unprecedented and extremely harsh humanitarian conditions, and they urgently need the support and assistance provided by UNRWA.
For seven decades, Israel has ignored the United Nations and Security Council resolutions regarding the return of Palestinian refugees to their places of origin.
We were shocked by Sweden’s decision to stop funding the operations of UNRWA, given the extremely difficult humanitarian conditions faced by over two million Palestinian refugees, including nearly one million children and half a million women in Gaza currently.
Sweden has been one of the countries supporting UNRWA’s operations for many years and is widely recognized for its humanitarian stance toward refugees.
It is the duty of all countries in the world to stand against Israel’s attacks on UNRWA and not allow the termination of the agency or the interference in its operations.
Most of the Countries around the world have rejected Israel’s policies against UNRWA and decided to continue funding the agency’s operations to assist Palestinian refugees, while calling on Israel to respect international agreements and United Nations resolutions.
We urge you to reconsider your decision to halt funding for UNRWA’s operations and to continue supporting its work so that it may fulfill its humanitarian and relief duties.
We look forward to receiving a positive response.
Signatures
International Jurists Union /Geneva Office
Geneva Centre for Democracy & Human Rights
Geneva Council For International Affairs and Development
Contacts: +41 79 246 57 03/ +41227600204