Sweden halts Unrwa funding, shifts Gaza aid to alternative channels

Sweden will no longer fund the UN refugee agency for Palestinians (Unrwa) but instead provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza via other channels, the Nordic country's aid minister, Benjamin Dousa, told Swedish broadcaster TV4 on Friday.

Sweden's decision to end funding for Unrwa was in response to Israel's ban on Unrwa's operations in the country, as it will make channelling aid to the Palestinians via the agency more difficult, Dousa said.

Sweden plans to increase its overall humanitarian assistance to Gaza next year, he added.