Japan lifts funding suspension to Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA

The accusations by Israel led 16 countries including the United States to pause $450 million in funding to the UNRWA, throwing its operations into turmoil.

Japan will lift its suspension of funding to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told local media on Tuesday.

Tokyo in January decided to suspend additional funding to the agency while it conducted an investigation into an allegation that its staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which sparked war in the Gaza Strip. The accusations by Israel led 16 countries including the United States to pause $450 million in funding to the UNRWA, throwing its operations into turmoil. The agency is the largest relief body operating in Gaza, which has been besieged by Israel since the attack.

Countries including Australia, Canada, Finland and Sweden have since restored funding to UNRWA, while several Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia have increased funding. Japan is the sixth biggest donor to the agency, according to the UNRWA's 2022 data.

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