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Israeli allegations against UNRWA 'distraction' from ongoing attacks: WHO

World Health Organization and Amnesty International urge countries to continue funding the UN Palestinian refugee agency after at least 12 cut support.

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Palestinians wait in line to receive water aid provided by United Nations via mobile depots as the infrastructure for water supplies were damaged in Israeli attacks in Rafah. / Photo: AA

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to continue funding the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), calling Israeli allegations against the UN body a "distraction" from the ongoing onslaught in Gaza.

"The discussion right now is much of a distraction of what is going on every day, every hour, every minute in Gaza," WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told a UN press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.

"It's a distraction from close to 27,000 deaths as of now, out of which 70 percent are women and children."

Lindmeier was referring to recent allegations by Tel Aviv that some of UNRWA's staff were involved in the cross-border attack on Israel by Palestinian group Hamas on October 7.

Arguing that while these claims should be investigated, he said they currently serve as a "distraction" from measures preventing an entire nation's access to food, water, shelter and electricity.

They also distract from the "continuous shelling" of Palestinians in Gaza, even in designated safe areas, as well as from attacks on "shelters, schools, hospitals," he added.

'Deeply shocking'

Due to Israel's allegations, at least 12 countries have suspended funding for UNRWA, which was established in 1949 to help Palestinian refugees across the Middle East.

These countries are Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Finland, Australia, the UK, the Netherlands, the US, France, Austria, and Japan.

Separately, in a statement on Monday, Amnesty International urged donor countries to reverse their decision to suspend funding for UNRWA.

"It is deeply shocking – indeed inhumane – that several governments have taken decisions that will cause further suffering to two million Palestinians," said Agnes Callamard, the rights group's secretary-general.

"(Palestinians) are already facing the risk of genocide and an engineered famine just days after the International Court of Justice ruling concluded that the survival of Palestinians in Gaza is at risk."

She stressed that it is "particularly appalling" that such action has been taken over allegations involving only 12 employees out of UNRWA’s total staff of 30,000.

UNRWA said it terminated contracts with several employees following the Israeli allegations.