UNRWA in Crisis: A Conversation with Chief Lazzarini and Norway's State Secretary Kravik

PRIO's Peace in a Pod

UNRWA is in trouble. The UN agency for Palestine Refugees is accused by Israel of being infiltrated by Hamas and having had some of its staff involved in the attacks on October 7th.

Nearly 2 million people in Gaza depend on UNRWA for survival as war and displacement continue after nearly four months of war.

The allegations by Israel concern a fraction of the workforce in Gaza, but are having devastating consequences for the organization, threatening its very existence.

While an investigation into Israel’s claims is ongoing, the United States, Germany and Sweden – the largest individual donors to UNRWA - have all paused their funding, and the European Union is wavering over what to do. However, Norway, one of the largest donors to UNRWA, says it will continue its funding.

In this episode, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, Norwegian State Secretary Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, and Jørgen Jensehaugen, a PRIO expert on the Arab-Israeli conflict, discuss why the organization matters more now than ever.

The episode is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

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