Trump to continue freezing UNRWA funds
US President Donald Trump is set to withdraw engagement with the United Nations Human Rights Council and to continue halting US funding for the UN Palestinian relief agency (UNRWA), a White House official confirmed on February 3rd, according to The New Arab via Reuters.
The decision coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, The New Arab via Reuters reported.
Netanyahu has consistently criticised UNRWA, accusing it of anti-Israel incitement and claiming its staff were “involved in terrorist activities against Israel.” Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, praised Trump’s expected actions, claiming the Human Rights Council is “aggressively promoting extreme anti-Semitism”.
UNRWA has not issued a formal response but the Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that the agency is the target of a “fierce disinformation campaign” which “portray[s] the agency as a terrorist organization.”
Pascal Sim, acting spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Council, said he was unaware of any official notification from the US and said that there is no formal withdrawal process since the country is not currently a voting member.
Trump previously withdrew the US from the Human Rights Council during his first term, criticising what he called its bias against Israel and failure to implement reforms. His administration also halted funding for UNRWA, questioning its effectiveness and arguing that Palestinians needed to agree to resume peace talks with Israel.
Under the Biden administration, the US rejoined the council for the 2022-2024 term. The US is due for a scheduled human rights review later this year, a process all countries submit to every few years.
The US, previously UNRWA’s largest donor, suspended funding in January 2024 after Israel alleged that a dozen UNRWA employees participated in the October 7th 2023 attack by Hamas. Congress has since extended the funding freeze until at least March 2025.
UNRWA, which provides aid, healthcare and education services to millions of Palestinians. The UN acknowledged that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the October 7th 2023 attack and have been fired.
The National reported on January 30th that UNRWA will continue to work within the occupied Palestinian territories despite Israel enforcing a ban on its work. Tamara Al Rifai, director of external relations and communications at UNRWA, has said the no-communication order creates “a lack of protection guarantees for our staff – so that if anything happens to them, UNRWA will no longer have access to Israeli officials.”
The New Arab via Reuters
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