Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2023 to Question 15371 on UNRWA: Finance, whether his Department held discussions with UNWRA on the allegations before funding was suspended.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, called the Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, on 26 January to report the allegations and to outline the actions UNRWA had taken.

As we have set out, we are pressing the UN Office of Internal Oversight and Catherine Colonna, who is leading the independent Review Group appointed by the UN Secretary-General, to produce a rapid interim report into these appalling allegations. We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again. We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion - not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza.