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SvennoJ 1 day ago
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Iceland announces early disbursement of funds to UNRWA

Thorgerour Katrin Gunnarsdottir, the Icelandic foreign minister, says her country will disburse its contribution to the UN agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) ahead of schedule, “in light of the extreme humanitarian need”.

In a post on X, Gunnarsdottir said Iceland values the work that UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini and his staff are doing “under very challenging circumstances”. In a separate post, Gunnarsdottir reiterated her call for a ceasefire in Gaza and said “access to humanitarian aid must be improved”.

The announcement comes as Israel prepares to enforce a widely criticised law banning UNRWA’s operations in the country in late January. Israel accuses the agency’s staff of involvement in the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.

The allegation has resulted in 16 Western countries suspending their donations to UNRWA, prompting an outcry from rights groups who criticised the move as disproportionate. All of the nations except the US have since resumed payments.

The UN, which launched an immediate probe, later said nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the attacks and that they had been fired.


UN efforts to save lives in Gaza ‘at breaking point’, says relief chief

Tom Fletcher says the UN humanitarian agency’s (OCHA) aid efforts in Gaza are facing mounting obstacles as Israeli forces continue attacks on relief workers amid a breakdown of law and order in the war-torn enclave.

He gave three examples from the past couple of days alone:

  • An Israeli air attack seriously injured three people at a known food distribution point where a WFP partner was operating.
  • Israeli soldiers fired more than 16 bullets at a clearly marked UN convoy at the checkpoint from the south to the north.
  • Armed Palestinian gangs hijacked six fuel tankers entering from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, leaving humanitarian agencies with hardly any fuel for aid operations.

“The reality is that despite our determination to deliver food, water and medicine to survivors, our efforts to save lives are at breaking point,” he said.

“There is no meaningful civil order. Israeli forces are unable or unwilling to ensure the safety of our convoys. Statements by Israeli authorities vilify our aid workers even as the military attacks them. Community volunteers who accompany our convoys are being targeted. There is now a perception that it is dangerous to protect aid convoys but safe to loot them.”


Gaza aid worker died of wounds sustained in Israeli attack on distribution point

In Jabalia, a number of residential houses have been targeted by Israel. It’s not only happening in Jabalia but also in the middle area: Nuseirat and Maghazi.

Jabalia, Beit Hanoon and Beit Lahiya have been under an Israeli siege where no one can reach that area, and we know that there are Palestinians still trapped and not able to leave without food, water, medicine or aid.

UN agencies have been coming out with statements since yesterday afternoon after a couple of attacks targeting the UN convoys and the World Food Programme (WFP) vehicles.

Earlier today, an aid worker working in partnership with the Ma’an distribution organisation that in turn works with the WFP died from wounds he sustained after an attack two days ago in one of the distribution points.

The UN relief chief also says efforts to save the lives of survivors in Gaza are at “breaking point” and nearly impossible because we’re seeing everyone being targeted right now in the Gaza Strip.