Canadian government will resume funding to United Nations relief agency for Palestinians: source

The federal government is resuming funding to UNR‐ WA, the United Nations re‐ lief agency for Palestinians, CBC News has learned.

In addition to going ahead with a scheduled payment in April of $25 million, Canada's international development minister also intends to an‐ nounce new funding, ac‐ cording to a senior govern‐ ment official.

The Canadian government announced a pause on fund‐ ing in January after Israel al‐ leged that 12 employees of UNRWA were involved in some capacity in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and the affiliated group Is‐ lamic Jihad.

UNRWA moved quickly to fire the 12 staff members on Jan. 26, as soon as Israel made its allegations.

The government source says Canadian officials have received an interim report from the United Nations ex‐ amining the allegations. Based on that information, the Canadian government is comfortable resuming fund‐ ing, the source said.

CBC News is not naming the source because they are not authorized to speak pub‐ licly about the decision.

Canada announced the suspension of funding within hours of a similar announce‐ ment by the U.S. - but Canada's next regular pay‐ ment to the organization was not due until April.

CBC News reported last month that Canada had not seen evidence backing up the allegations against the em‐ ployees before making the decision.

International Develop‐ ment Minister Ahmed Hussen was scheduled to of‐ ficially announce the move at a news conference Wednesday morning. The event was cancelled but is ex‐ pected to be rescheduled.

The allegations from Israel as well as Canada's decision to pause funding ratcheted up the political debate around UNRWA in Canada's Parliament.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused the agency of being a "terrorist organization" and promised to cut funding if he becomes prime minister.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said that while he sup‐ ported investigating the alle‐ gations, the move to pause funding was the wrong choice because it would be punishing desperate people who rely on the agency.

Requests for funding to be restored

Senior United Nations of‐ ficials have been asking for the funding to be restored.

"We regret the halting of that funding," said Martin Griffiths, UN under-secretary general for humanitarian af‐ fairs and emergency relief coordinator, in an interview Tuesday with CBC's The Na‐ tional.

He pointed to two investi‐ gations underway into the Is‐ raeli government's allega‐ tions, saying he hoped they would provide sufficient as‐ surance to Canada and other countries to keep funding UNRWA.

"We're necessary. We're doing what I think is almost the most difficult humanitari‐ an operation," he said, pointing out that more than 150 staff members have been killed in Gaza.

The Israeli government has long complained about UNRWA and has sought to have the agency defunded.

It accuses UNRWA of per‐ petuating a Palestinian refugee crisis, allowing mem‐ bers of armed groups to infil‐ trate it and use its facilities, and allowing its schools to in‐ doctrinate Palestinian chil‐ dren in an ideology of armed resistance to Israel.

UNRWA says it makes great efforts to avoid infiltra‐ tion by armed groups and works to educate its employ‐ ees about the importance of neutrality.