Japan’s government announced that it is getting ready to start providing cash again to the UNRWA, the crisis-hit Palestinian refugee organization that oversees almost all relief to Gaza.
Japan, which was previously the sixth-largest donor to UNRWA, stopped funding the organization along with more than a dozen other nations when Israel asserted that twelve of UNRWA’s thirteen thousand Gaza staff members were complicit in the October 7 Hamas attack.
On Thursday, UNRWA Chief Philippe Lazzarini and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa met in Tokyo to talk about the agency’s efforts to improve transparency and governance.
“Japan and the UNRWA confirmed that they will advance final coordination about necessary efforts to resume Japan’s contribution,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
According to rumors in the Japanese media, the funding, which had been halted in January, would likely resume in the first part of April.
The UN has warned of an approaching famine in Gaza, and UNRWA’s efforts to provide much-needed relief have been jeopardized by the sudden suspension of financing.
Resuming aid was announced this month by Australia, Canada, Sweden, and other countries.
The agency has enough money, according to Lazzarini’s statement on Tuesday, to continue running until at least the end of May.
The ministry stated that Kamikawa “pointed out the importance of ensuring transparency and traceability of fund flows and the neutrality of UNRWA staff” on Thursday.
The UN has initiated an independent and internal investigation, but it has stated that Israel has not given it any proof to back up the allegations made against its employees.
