March 11, 2024
The Coalition has cautioned against restoring funding for the United Nations’ Palestinian refugee agency without assurances it will not be used to support terrorism and that staff members complicit in the October 7 terror attack against Israel have been dealt with.
Sweden and Canada are resuming payments to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and there are growing expectations the Albanese government will end its freeze on a $6 million boost to provide food, shelter and medical supplies to Gazans displaced by fighting.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday the government was taking advice on what further support Australia could give.
“We have made very clear statements about the humanitarian need of people in Gaza who are suffering terribly. The consequences of the action that’s taken place there should not impact on innocent civilians the way that it has,” he said.
“And we continue to call for not just humanitarian support, and we’re giving consideration to the range of support that can be given, including through other forms as well, in terms of essential food and lifesaving delivery there.
“But we understand as well that part of the problem is getting access into Gaza. And we consistently have called for that access to be given. And we’re working with like-minded countries as well to make sure that that can occur.”
The Albanese government doubled the annual funding to UNRWA to $20 million last year, and that money has already been transferred in full.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong committed an extra $6 million earlier this year to address the humanitarian crisis following Israel’s retaliatory attacks, which Gazan officials say have killed more than 30,000 people. The Hamas terror attacks on Israel killed 1200 people.
But Australia was one of more than a dozen Western countries to suspend funding after the Israeli government accused a dozen of UNRWA’s 13,000 employees of being involved in the terror attack. UNRWA fired nine of the employees and two are dead.
Israeli intelligence last week identified another two UNRWA teachers alleged to have been involved. Israel released audio of one purportedly boasting about kidnapping a female hostage.
Reuters reported last week that UNRWA staff detained by Israel were coerced into claiming links existed between the UN agency and terror group Hamas, according to a UNRWA report. Reuters was unable to independently verify the claims.
UNRWA’s own independent investigation is expected to be completed by late April. The UN’s Office of Internal Oversight is carrying out a separate probe.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last week pressed Mr Albanese to lift the pause.
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson, currently visiting Israel as part of an Australian delegation, said it was critically important to alleviate suffering for innocent civilians and ensure particularly food was provided, but warned Australians wanted assurances about how UNRWA used aid money.
“My view is that Australia should only restore its funding when it is confident that there is no risk of any of that funding finding its way to Hamas, and that UNRWA has dealt with the issues of its employees’ alleged complicity in the atrocities of 7th October,” he said.
“There is an investigation currently occurring by a former French foreign minister. That investigation has not been completed or published yet, and if we try to resume our support for UNRWA before then, we would have to have very strong guarantees that Australian money would not be misspent.”
Labor backbencher Julian Hill said it was untrue for critics to claim Australia had cut UNRWA funding and he expected “the budgeted extra $6 million paid now that the concerns of like-minded countries are being resolved”.
“But domestic politics should not distract from the real issue which is Israel’s refusal to let enough food into Gaza,” Mr Hill said.
“The situation is dire but, to be frank, even if Australia provided a bazillion dollars tomorrow it would make little difference. That is the core problem. People are starving to death just kilometres away from fully stocked supermarkets or stranded trucks of food and only Israel has the power to act.”
