Defunding UNRWA: What is at stake?

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The Swiss lower chamber made headlines in September 2024 with its vote to suspend Swiss donations to the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. A month later, the Israeli parliament voted to effectively prevent the UN agency from continuing its mandate in Gaza and the West Bank from early 2025 onwards. While the Swiss upper chamber is set to confirm or reject its decision, defunding UNRWA at this critical moment would not only weaken the agency’s finances but also further damage its legitimacy.