Vienna, Austria — Austria announced on Saturday that it will restore its funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), following a suspension due to allegations that some of its staff were involved in the October 7 Hamas raids.
In January, Israel claimed that certain UNRWA employees might have participated in the Hamas attacks on October 7. This led to several donor countries, including Austria, suspending or pausing around $450 million in funding to the agency.
However, after a thorough review of the action plan submitted by UNRWA to enhance its organizational functions, Austria’s foreign ministry has decided to reinstate the funds. The ministry’s statement confirmed that €3.4 million ($3.7 million) has been allocated for 2024, with the first installment expected in the summer. A portion of these funds will be specifically directed toward improving internal control mechanisms within UNRWA.
Austria emphasized the need for close monitoring of the action plan’s implementation in collaboration with other international partners, acknowledging that significant trust had been lost. “A lot of trust had been squandered,” the ministry stated, highlighting the critical nature of these improvements.
The decision aligns Austria with several other countries, such as Germany, Sweden, Canada, and Japan, which have already resumed their contributions to UNRWA. Meanwhile, other donor states continue to withhold their funding.
Since the October 7 events, Austria has significantly increased its humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population in Gaza and the surrounding region. The country has committed €32 million ($34.8 million) in humanitarian assistance through various international aid organizations, aiming to support the heavily impacted communities.
As Austria moves forward with its funding reinstatement, the foreign ministry underscored its commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability within UNRWA, seeking to rebuild and maintain international trust in the agency’s operations.