Govt to delay funding decision for UNRWA

The Swiss government is putting off a decision on whether to re-start funding to the UN Palestinian relief organisation UNRWA.

Many countries have suspended payments to the organisation after Israeli authorities claimed 12 UNRWA worker were involved in the Hamas attacks in October.

UNRWA employs 13,000 in Gaza. 

An independent investigation, headed by the former French foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, has concluded the agency’s work is ‘indispensable’ but there are problems with neutrality.

The Swiss foreign ministry says it will take time to examine the report before deciding to release CHF 20m earmarked for the agency. 

More from Bitesize News

  • Possible charges for foreign retailers

    Foreign online retailers would have to pay into Switzerland's recycling system under a motion the Federal Council now backs

  • Swiss detained at US immigration

    A 23-year-old Swiss woman has been in US immigration detention since Friday, after ICE agents stopped her at Dallas airport on her way to a family gathering

  • No more paper recycling at SBB stations

    Switzerland's railway network is pulling paper recycling compartments out of station bins, after paper collection at its sorting stations crashed by more than 96% between 2015 and 2025

  • Geneva unemployment rises

    Geneva remains Switzerland's unemployment hotspot, with the rate climbing to 5.3% in figures released today by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs

  • Hottest summer ever claims record victims

    Switzerland's hottest summer on record killed around 1,257 people between May and August, according to new estimates from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute

  • Another medical bill for Crans Montana

    Switzerland will foot the roughly CHF 1.5 million medical bill for the twelve Italian victims hospitalised after the Constellation hotel fire in Crans-Montana

Download our app

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play