US aid cuts to UNRWA made Switzerland ‘extremely worried’

Several countries have indicated that they will pay their annual contributions to UNRWA earlier to help meet the funding gap. These include Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Kuwait, the Netherlands and Ireland.

“As a first step, Switzerland has already paid its entire 2018 contribution of CHF19 million ($20.3 million) on January 11,” the Swiss foreign ministry confirmed to swissinfo.ch. 

“Switzerland is also ready to work with donors, host countries and UNWRA to address the challenges of the current situation. With this in mind, it offered its support to UNWRA to organize a ministerial conference to be held in Geneva at the end of February 2018." 

The Swiss ministry added that it was ‘extremely worried’ by the US budget cut, and stressed that "a reduction in the US contribution to UNWRA would clearly limit its work and put pressure on countries hosting refugees.  The humanitarian consequences would be immediate, such as in the areas of school and public health, and would also be felt in the long term with increased unemployment and poverty, food supply problems, lack of prospects for the future and increased despair." 

The Gaza Strip, where UNWRA supports more than a million Palestinian refugees, would be particularly affected, the ministry said. 

Bern warned: "In addition to the severe humanitarian consequences, major cuts could also lead to greater instability in the Middle East. UNWRA's action is central to peace and stability."