'Suspending UN funds to Gaza similar to being complicit in genocide'

 

Former Klang MP Charles Santiago has criticised six countries for their decision to suspend funding to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, amid allegations some of its employees were involved in the Oct 7 attacks on Israel.

The DAP leader said the actions of the US, Italy, Australia, Canada, the UK and Finland were equivalent to being complicit in Israel's genocide against Palestinians.

"It is beyond preposterous to punish millions of Palestinians who are already living in a catastrophic condition even before investigations began.

"These states must be warned that withdrawing funding to the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) is tantamount to being complicit in genocide and their acts are punishable under Article 3(e) of the Genocide Convention.

"They are also 'deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part' under Article 2(c)," he said in a statement today.

Against ICJ ruling

The co-chair of the Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) added that the pulling back of funds to UNRWA is also against a recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling.

Charles pointed out the court had clearly ordered effective humanitarian aid to Gaza.

"The action of these states would result in starvation and even more deaths of the Palestinian people, again pointing to complicity in genocide.

"This reaction, which follows hot on the heels of the ICJ ruling that found Israel plausibly committing genocide, is a very public demonstration of support for (Israel PM) Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Ironically even states that called for a humanitarian ceasefire, such as Finland, seem to have jumped on the bandwagon," he added.

Charles urged other governments and nations to condemn the decision to cut off funds to UNRWA, saying that failure to do so would result in further death and destruction in Gaza.

According to a Bernama report yesterday, the UK and Finland joined the four other countries in suspending funding to UNRWA.

In response, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the donor states not to suspend funding for the agency, and that the UN is taking swift action on Israel’s allegations. - Mkini