Spain to give UNRWA extra $3.8 million after key donors suspend aid

MADRID — Spain will send the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA an additional €3.5 million ($3.8 million) in aid, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told lawmakers on Monday.

Major donors to UNRWA, including the United States and Germany, suspended funding after Israel accused 12 of its tens of thousands of Palestinian employees of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas.

"UNRWA's situation is desperate and there is a serious risk that its humanitarian activities will be paralyzed in Gaza within a few weeks," Albares told lawmakers.

Madrid contributed €18.5 million directly to UNRWA in 2023, including €10 million approved in December following the decision to triple development and humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territories.

On Friday, neighboring Portugal announced additional aid to UNRWA worth €1 million. Foreign Minister Joao Cravinho wrote on social media platform X it was essential "not to turn our backs on the Palestinian population at this difficult time." — Reuters