"We regret that Sweden has stopped all Swedish aid to UNRWA and want to stress the importance of UNRWA," says the appeal from Diakonia, Doctors Without Borders Sweden, Oxfam Sweden, Plan International Sweden, and Save the Children.
UNRWA is absolutely necessary for us to be able to provide humanitarian support in Gaza in an effective way, says Ylva Jonsson Strömberg, Secretary General of Doctors Without Borders.
Sweden was the fifth largest contributor and with the support being stopped, UNRWA lost a large part of its financing. Here, Sweden has a great power to support the aid work again, says she.
Ruthless situation
The situation in war-torn Gaza is described as "apocalyptic" and "ruthless", especially for women and children. Civilians are at risk of dying from diseases or malnutrition, the organizations state. 930,000 children in Gaza are living precariously close to the brink of starvation.
We have a population of two million that will soon not be able to cope anymore. That's why we are so incredibly urgent about the need for help to come in an independent way now. That's where UNRWA is needed, says Ylva Jonsson Strömberg.
They are, among other things, enabling other organizations to effectively reach out with humanitarian aid and provide healthcare and education in Gaza can replace UNRWA's work, it says in the appeal.
Ended last year
But UNRWA evokes strong emotions. Israel has for a long time claimed that the organization has been infiltrated by extremists from Hamas, with allegations that a significant part of the approximately 13,000 employees in Gaza have had such ties.
The allegations have intensified during the ongoing Gaza war. The UN has investigated them and concluded that nine employees may have been involved in the attack on October 7, 2023. The nine were dismissed.
Sweden's government ended the so-called core support to UNRWA last year. Aid is given to other humanitarian actors in Gaza. Sweden and the US are the only former donors that have completely stopped their support to UNRWA. Germany recently increased its grants to the organization.
