The United Kingdom has restored funding to the beleaguered Gaza aid agency UNRWA, leaving the United States as the only country refusing to end a freeze imposed after Israeli claims of staff member involvement in last October’s Hamas massacre.
David Lammy, the new U.K. Labour foreign secretary, said UNRWA had improved its vetting following an independent review and is now meeting “the highest standards of neutrality” — announcing a new £21 million ($25 million) grant.
He made clear UNRWA’s critical importance to averting a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, noting reports of “polio now detected” and telling members of Parliament: “No other agency can deliver aid at the scale needed. It’s already feeding over half Gaza’s population.”
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About the author
Rob Merrick
Rob Merrick is the U.K. Correspondent for Devex, covering FCDO and British aid. He reported on all the key events in British politics of the past 25 years from Westminster, including the financial crash, the Brexit fallout, the "Partygate" scandal, and the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rob has worked for The Independent and the Press Association and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. He can be reached at rob.merrick@devex.com.
