In a concerning development, several countries have suspended their funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) based solely on allegations made by Israel against a number of agency employees. Reports have emerged revealing that countries like the Netherlands, Latvia, Canada, and Australia did not receive any evidence from Israel to support these claims prior to freezing their funding.

An anonymous source disclosed that British Foreign Secretary David Cameron suspended funding "only on the basis of information in the public domain," although the Foreign Office declined to confirm this. The European Union, Unrwa's third largest donor, also did not receive any information from Israel to substantiate the allegations.

This funding freeze has put Unrwa in a precarious situation, as the agency has announced it may have to suspend operations by the end of the month or in early March due to the lack of financial support. Juliette Touma, Unrwa's director of communications, expressed grave concern, stating that people's lives are at risk if the agency is forced to make tough decisions and halt essential humanitarian assistance.

The allegations against Unrwa employees came to light during a meeting on January 18th between Unrwa Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini and Israeli officials, who verbally shared the names of 12 employees allegedly involved in the October 7th attacks. However, no documents or reports were provided as evidence.

A six-page dossier reportedly shared with donor countries by Israel includes names and photos of the 12 employees, claiming they were involved in kidnapping, coordinating weapons movements, and participating in border raids. However, the dossier lacks any substantial evidence beyond intelligence and documents seized since the attacks.

Critics have questioned why governments relied on unproven details from the dossier, but it remains unclear how many countries have actually seen the document before making their funding decisions. Only Latvia explicitly stated that their decision to temporarily suspend funds was based on publicly confirmed information from the UN Secretary General and other officials.

The current funding freeze affects 20 donor countries, which collectively account for roughly half of Unrwa's operational budget. As a result, Unrwa is unable to provide immediate humanitarian aid in Gaza, where famine looms and the situation remains dire. Aid experts and former Unrwa officials have emphasized that no other organization in Gaza has the capacity to deliver the necessary assistance required.

An investigation into the allegations is being conducted by the UN's internal investigation authority, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), which is expected to take between six months and a year. Additionally, a review led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna will assess Unrwa's neutrality and response to serious breaches.

Former Unrwa spokesperson Chris Gunness expressed disappointment, stating, "We have worked with these very same donors time and time again to depoliticize Unrwa. What have they done? They've weaponized Unrwa. It's unforgivable what they are doing."

The hope now lies in urging the countries that have suspended funding to reconsider their decisions, as millions of lives in Gaza and the region depend on Unrwa's assistance and funding.