Finland ends funding for UNRWA for Palestinian refugees

Finland has decided not to continue financial support for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, said Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio on Thursday.

“The long-term support agreement made between Finland and UNRWA during the previous government of SDP ends, and I have not granted an extension of it,” the minister wrote in a post on his social media platform X in Finnish.

He, however, said that funding for Palestine could be continued through other channels such as World Food Programme (WFP).

Earlier in January 2024, Finland suspended funding for the (UNRWA) following allegations of the involvement of its 12 employees in the attacks on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023 despite having a four-year agreement from 2023 of giving five million euros in humanitarian assistance every year.

The agreement was made by the then alliance government led by Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP).

The government, however, resumed the funding in March 2024.

The government that time said that the information received indicates that there are clear shortcomings in the UNRWA’s risk management, which are related for example to the use of funds and facilities.

The allegations concerning support for terrorism are serious and the findings of the assessments have been discussed with the UNRWA, but a final report on the alleged links to Hamas terrorism has yet to be produced.

UNRWA has given Finland a bilateral assurance that misconduct will be tackled with enhanced effectiveness.