OSLO (Dispatches) – The Palestinian Authority could collapse in the coming months, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said on Monday, citing a lack of funding, continuing violence and the fact that half a million Palestinians are not allowed to work in the Israeli-occupied territories.
“The Palestinian Authority, with whom we work closely, are warning us that they might be collapsing this summer,” Barth Eide said.
Norway chairs the international donor group to the Palestinians and is a backer of the PA.
It is set to increase financial support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) by 100 million Norwegian kroner (9.3 million U.S. dollars), the government announced on Monday.
The new funding was revealed during a visit by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini to Norway. The aid increase comes in addition to the 275 million Norwegian kroner that Norway had already contributed earlier this year.
“UNRWA and other UN organizations’ ability to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid, including health care and education, to people living amid war and conflict, is fundamental to a world order based on international law,” said Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
UNRWA represents the international community’s commitment to Palestinian refugees until a political solution is found, Eide underlined, highlighting the importance of continued support for the organization from Norway and other countries.
Since the conflict in Gaza started in October 2023, nearly 200 UNRWA staff members have been killed. The organization’s personnel, schools, and hospitals all face daily attacks.
Established in 1949, UNRWA has provided education, health care, shelter, and humanitarian aid to 6 million Palestinian refugees in Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.