Ashraf AboArafe
A joint statement issued by the German Foreign Ministry and the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development as follows:
“We welcome the fact that the report of the UN Independent Review Group, led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, has now been released. UNRWA said it will implement the recommendations in the report quickly and fully. In this way, UNRWA is also building on the measures already taken.” As a result of the allegations made by Israel.
The German Government has extensively studied the allegations made by Israel against UNRWA, and has discussed this matter closely with the Israeli Government, the United Nations and other international donors.
The recommendations in the Colonna report must now be implemented immediately. Particular importance is given to strengthening UNRWA’s internal audit, staffing it with international UN staff, improving external supervision of project management, continuing to compare UNRWA staff lists with the Israeli security authorities, as well as expanding internal training. The German Government openly welcomes Sigrid Kaag’s new important role as the central coordinator of UN aid to Gaza, which we support to the best of our ability.
Against this background and in conjunction with these reforms, the German government will soon resume its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as Australia, Canada, Sweden, Japan, and others have already done. Germany will coordinate closely with its closest international partners to disburse more funds. UNRWA’s short-term funding needs in Gaza are currently covered by existing resources.
By continuing close cooperation, we support the vital and currently indispensable role of UNRWA in providing care to people in Gaza, because other international aid organizations also currently depend on UNRWA’s operational structures in Gaza. Most recently, on 19 April, the G7 stressed that UNRWA and other UN agencies must be able to fully implement their mandate to distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza. This is more important than ever given the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.”
