Overview
- Finland announced on Thursday that it will not renew the multi-year support agreement with UNRWA that was signed in March 2023 and totals €20 million.
- The decision follows earlier steps by Helsinki that included suspending UNRWA funding in 2024 and briefly reinstating payments in March 2024 after citing promised oversight reforms.
- The move came after the USAID Office of Inspector General referred more than 100 current or former UNRWA employees to the U.S. State Department over alleged participation in the October 7, 2023 attacks and recommended some be debarred.
- Finnish officials said overall humanitarian spending for Palestinian territories will remain steady but will be channeled through other implementers such as the World Food Programme to reduce perceived operational risk.
- Israel’s Foreign Ministry praised the decision and analysts say the step heightens donor pressure on UNRWA to strengthen vetting and oversight while risking operational disruption for refugees who rely on the agency.