LONDON: Jordan’s King Abdullah II stressed the need for the international community to maintain support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, in a phone call with the organization’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday.
Several nations, including Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK, have followed the lead of the US in suspending funding to the agency.
Their cessation of funding came after allegations made by Israel that several UNRWA workers were involved in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
King Abdullah highlighted the dire need for continued aid to support more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza facing severe humanitarian challenges, the Jordan News Agency reported.
He spoke of the urgency of establishing an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the importance of Israel adhering to international law and humanitarian standards.
He underscored the significance of facilitating the return of Palestinians in Gaza to their homes and recognized the vital contributions of UN agencies in providing humanitarian relief and medical assistance in the region.
He also raised concerns about escalating settler violence in the West Bank and violations at Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
Jordan hosts more than 2.2 million Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA, which provides vital relief services in accordance with its UN mandate.
Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, said the decision to pause funding “overtly defies” the International Court of Justice’s order to provide effective aid in Gaza, and could be a violation of the international genocide convention.
