Finland discontinues €20 million UNRWA funding agreement

Finland has decided not to renew its multi-year funding agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) after it expires this year, as announced by Finnish Foreign Trade Minister Ville Tavio. The agreement, signed in March 2023, involved a €20 million contribution. Finland had previously suspended and then reinstated funding due to allegations of UNRWA employees' involvement in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. Tavio stated, "We must make sure that not a single euro of Finland's money goes to Hamas or other terrorists." Finland will redirect its humanitarian aid to other organizations like the World Food Programme. Israel's Foreign Ministry praised the decision, asserting, "UNRWA is a hotbed of terrorism. It is part of the problem, not part of the solution."