The accusations of terrorism against UNRWA need to be clarified. However, UN aid to refugees does important work and should be continued.

Food delivery from the controversial UNRWA aid agency in Gaza, at the end of January Photo: Mohammed Talatene/dpa

The demands are old: drain UNRWA financially or abolish it completely! Israel has now specifically announced that the United Nations Palestine Assistance Agency will no longer play any role in Gaza. In reality, it is a scandal: employees are said to have participated in the Hamas massacre. Any involvement in terrorism must be investigated. UNRWA must investigate the allegations and correct all grievances.

But despite all the criticism, the role of UNRWA should not be underestimated: on the one hand, the aid organization offers central services in the Palestinian areas and in neighboring countries, which would otherwise be taken over by the state. Half a million children attend UNRWA schools. Millions of people receive health and social assistance. Furthermore, the aid organization is a major employer in the Palestinian territories (more than 10,000 employees in Gaza). Because Gaza has been isolated since 2007, a healthy economy has not been able to develop, meaning that private companies can only operate on a limited basis.

Certain groups in the United States and Israel have been agitating against UNRWA for years. Donald Trump irresponsibly cut off US funding to the aid organization entirely. The organization is a thorn in the side of its opponents not only because of its complaints, but also because, as a special aid organization for Palestinian refugees, it constantly defends Palestinian rights.

It is necessary to discuss whether the existing control mechanisms are sufficient. Even now the organization does not do what it wants, but checks all its employees against the UN sanctions list. The names are also presented to Israel. Abolishing UNRWA in the absence of a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict benefits no one, neither the people of Gaza nor Europe, nor Israel. Simply eliminating a system that has grown over decades would only make the situation worse.