Japan and 15 other countries suspended about $450 million in funding earlier this year while the agency investigated allegations that some of its staff were involved in the October 7 attacks on Israel, throwing the organization's operations in the Gaza Strip into chaos.
Palestinians wait to receive aid from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), on March 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
Countries including Australia and Canada have since restored funding to UNRWA, the largest relief agency operating in Gaza.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, who met UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini in Tokyo last week, said the agency's role in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was indispensable.
“In response, Japan will lift the ban on financial contributions to UNRWA and provide support while ensuring and monitoring the adequacy of Japanese funding,” she told reporters.
About $35 million of the originally planned funding is ready to be released, she added. Japan is the agency’s sixth-largest donor, according to 2022 UNRWA data.
Mai Anh (according to Reuters)
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