Finland ends UNRWA support agreement following Hamas allegations

Finland has announced it will not extend its multi-year support agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Ville Tavio, Finland’s minister for foreign trade and development, stated that the previous agreement made under the former SDP government will end and he has not granted an extension.

The decision follows investigations by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Inspector General, which found that over 100 UNRWA employees allegedly participated in the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. A senior State Department official indicated that other European nations are also reconsidering their funding for the agency due to these findings.

While direct support to UNRWA will cease, Minister Tavio noted that Finland will continue to provide funding for Palestinian areas through other channels, such as the World Food Programme (WFP).

Critics, including Green Party parliamentary group deputy chair Inka Hopsu, have condemned the move, calling it irresponsible. Hopsu argued that UNRWA provides essential, irreplaceable services, including health clinics and emergency shelter, and suggested that the decision places Finland on the wrong side of history.