Bahrain: Introductory country profile
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UK aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)
West Bank and Gaza Strip: UK aid and UNRWA: FAQs (623 KB , PDF)
Note: The main text in this briefing was last updated on 31 October 2024. Information on UK aid commitments is current, as of 28 January 2025 (UK aid support totalling £129 million in 2024/25).
This briefing addresses questions about UK aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), aid access to Gaza, and the position and role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The Commons Library research briefing, Israel and the OPTs: UK response to the conflict since July 2024 provides a summary of events in the 2023/24 Israel-Hamas conflict, the UK response, and negotiations on a ceasefire.
In line with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office practice when reporting past UK aid spending, this briefing primarily uses the term “West Bank and Gaza Strip” rather than The Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) publishes daily updates on the humanitarian situation, including the level of humanitarian need, casualties, damage to infrastructure, and aid access (browse its homepage for ‘flash updates’ and ‘reported impact’). UN agencies report significant infrastructure damage, including to schools and hospitals, and the deaths of aid workers. They also warn that the risk of famine in Gaza “persists”. A vaccination campaign against polio is also being carried out.
The UK Government has backed UN Security Council resolutions demanding an increase of humanitarian aid for Gaza. The UK has also called on Israel to adhere to its commitment to increase the number of aid trucks to 500. The UK Government has also called on Israel to re-open the Rafah crossing with Egypt, which has been closed since Israel captured it on 8 May 2024.
UNOCHA figures from October 2024 report that the highest daily average of arrivals occurred in April 2024, when 169 trucks entered each day (this does not include fuel trucks). This stood at 37 per day from 1 to 31 October 2024 (this data does not include commercial vehicles entering Gaza).
In October 2024 the United States called on Israel to substantially increase the number of aid trucks entering Gaza, and set a daily target of 350 trucks (a figure not achieved, according to the UN data cited above). In November, the US said that Israel had taken some steps, including opening a new crossing, and had not made an assessment that Israel is in violation of US law.
The UK Government has also criticised Israel for the level of humanitarian aid arriving into northern Gaza and in October 2024 said it will “not tolerate any more excuses from Israel on humanitarian assistance”. Israel said that there has been no halt on the entry or coordination of aid into northern Gaza. This followed UNOCHA reports stating no humanitarian food assistance had entered northern Gaza from 30 September to 13 October 2024.
For 2023/24, the UK committed over £100 million in aid to the OPTs (US$126 million). A total of £35 million was provided to UNRWA before funding was suspended in January (see below). The UK has committed £129 million for 2024/25, including £10 million, via the World Bank, for the Palestinian Authority (in the West Bank), to pay public sector salaries, and for Unicef. It also includes £34 million for UNRWA, announced in July and December.
The UK Government states no aid is provided to Hamas, who have governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, and who are designated a terrorist organisation by the UK and are subject to UK sanctions.
Due to “prioritisation exercises” in the aid budget, the UK has not provided direct aid to Palestinian Authority since 2021, though some technical assistance is provided through commercial organisations.
The government says all UK aid to the OPTs “undergoes rigorous oversight”. This includes field visits, annual audits, due diligence assessments, and mapping of downstream partners of the funding.
The government also has a memorandum of understanding with the Palestinian Authority, in which the Authority commits to uphold the principles of non-violence, respect international law and commit to taking action against incitement to violence (among other principles of the memorandum). The UK raises any concerns directly with the Palestinian Authority.
Around half of UK aid to the West Bank and Gaza Strip is delivered through UNRWA, rather than through local authorities or civil society groups.
UNRWA was established in 1949 to provide assistance and services for Palestinian refugees displaced between 1948 and 1948 and their descendants. UNRWA works in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria and supports around 5.9 million people.
In January 2024, alongside other donors including the European Union and United States, the UK said it would pause future funding decisions on UNRWA in response to reports that “several” UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October Hamas assault against Israel. UNRWA sacked some staff following the allegations. The agency also called for donor funding to be resumed to ensure the continuity of its work. While the European Union, France and Germany have since resumed funding, the US has passed legislation disallowing funding until at least March 2025 (PDF).
In January the UK Government said it had made all its planned contributions to UNRWA in the 2023/24 financial year (£35 million) before its decision to pause future funding. It said it would await the findings of two UN inquiry assessments and UNRWA making “detailed undertakings” before deciding.
The first report of two UN-commissioned investigations was published on 22 April. This set out 50 recommendations for UNRWA, including more screening of UNRWA staff. UNRWA and the UN accepted the recommendations in full, while Israel argued these were “cosmetic” changes and says it will no longer work with UNRWA. The review also noted that in 2024 Israel had not provided supporting evidence that UNRWA staff were members of terrorist groups.
Following the conclusion of the second review by the UN Office of Oversight Services (OIOS) in August 2024, UNRWA sacked nine staff who “may have been involved” in the 7 October 2023 assault. The OIOS noted that they had not been able to independently verify information provided by Israel to support allegations on UNRWA staff involvement in the assault.
In July 2024, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced UK funding would resume, and pledged £21 million in 2024, including £1 million to support reform. He welcomed the UN review and UNRWA’s implementation plan to ensure it meets the “highest standards of neutrality”. The government also said that it would monitor UNRWA’s progress on implementing its action plan and continue to conduct its own annual assessment of UK funding to UNRWA.
In October 2024 the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) passed two bills which will ban Israeli officials from engaging with UNRWA and UNRWA from working in Israeli territory. The measures will come into effect in 90 days’ time. Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said UNRWA staff with links to Hamas must be held accountable and that Israel will work with international partners on next steps. Israel has said it will work with other UN agencies, such as the World Food Programme, to deliver humanitarian aid. It has previously proposed that UNRWA be replaced in a post-conflict Gaza.
UNRWA, the UN Secretary General, the UK Government, European Union and United States are among those to have criticised the legislation. Norway has said it plans to bring the issue to a vote in the UN General Assembly on whether to refer the legislation to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion to clarify if the laws violate international law.
West Bank and Gaza Strip: UK aid and UNRWA: FAQs (623 KB , PDF)
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