Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa announced on Tuesday the resumption of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), with $35 million to be released.
Kamikawa cited the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza as the reason for Japan's decision, emphasizing Japan's responsibility as a member of the U.N. Security Council to address the crisis.
Earlier this year, Japan joined several of its Western allies, including the U.S. and the U.K., in halting funding to the U.N. agency following allegations by Tel Aviv against UNRWA.
However, several countries, including Australia, Canada, Sweden and Iceland, have since resumed funding.
In February, Japan also announced an additional emergency aid of $32 million for Palestinians, to be provided through the U.N. World Food Programme, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and other international organizations.
Meanwhile, New Zealand announced $6 million in humanitarian assistance for those affected by the conflict in Gaza and Sudan.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who arrived in Egypt a day earlier on his first visit to Cairo, said his country stands with Egypt, the Arab League and the overwhelming consensus of the international community in calling on all parties to comply with last week’s UNSC resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
Israel has waged a military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, which killed some 1,200 people.
Nearly 32,800 Palestinians have since been killed, besides causing mass destruction, displacement and conditions of famine.
Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.
Accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel has been ordered to ensure the "unhindered provision" of urgent aid to Gaza. The court said, "Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine, but that famine is setting in."
