Sweden Resumes Aid to UNRWA

Sweden announced today, Saturday, that it will "resume its aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) with an initial amount of $20 million, after receiving guarantees for additional investigations regarding the agency's spending and its staff." Like many other countries, Sweden suspended its aid to UNRWA after Israel accused 12 agency employees in late January of involvement in the attack on October 7 carried out by the Palestinian group Hamas. The agency immediately terminated the contracts of the accused employees and initiated an internal investigation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres also tasked an independent group led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna with evaluating UNRWA and its political "neutrality." The Swedish government stated in a statement that it has "allocated 400 million kronor to UNRWA for 2024," adding, "Today's decision concerns an initial payment of 200 million kronor." It noted that in order to release the aid package, UNRWA agreed to "allow for independent audits and controls to enhance internal oversight and additional controls over employees."