LAST UPDATE | 24 Apr 2024

Niall O'Connor Reports from Jordan

TÁNAISTE MICHEÁL MARTIN has questioned how countries could cut funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) following a trip to a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan today as part of his official visit to the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Martin said that he is “very pessimistic about the prospect of a ceasefire” in Gaza. 

“The sense we have from the engagements I’ve had since Monday is negative in respect of the early prospects of a ceasefire,” he said, adding that he hopes he is wrong. 

“We do seem to have gone backwards in respect of the ceasefire.” 

The Tánaiste said he is also “worried about the prospects of an Israeli invasion of Rafah” in southern Gaza. 

He said he is hearing that Israel is contemplating an invasion of Rafah, adding that such a move would be “catastrophic”. 

During his visit to the Talbieh Camp today, one of six camps for refugees fleeing the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Martin toured an UNRWA-funded school and medical clinic located on the site.

The camp is one of the pooresty refugee camps in Jordan, which is home to 2.2 million refugees from Palestine. 

Tánaiste Micheál Martin visiting the medical clinic at the Talbieh Camp Niall O'Connor / The Journal Niall O'Connor / The Journal / The Journal

UNRWA has been the centre of accusations by Israel for employing members of Hamas which the Israeli government has claimed played a role during the 7 October attack. These claims have yet to be proven.

In the weeks that following the accusations in January, numerous donor states suspended or paused millions in funding. 

Many, including Sweden, Canada and Japan had since resumed funding. Germany said today it will resume cooperation with UNRWA. 

In February, Martin accused Israel of a “disinformation campaign” against UNRWA in Gaza and pledged additional funding for the aid organisation.

He confirmed Ireland would provide immediate support of an additional €20 million for UNRWA and its work in assisting refugees in Gaza.

At the time. Martin also urged other countries to resume and expand support to UNRWA “so that it can deliver for the millions of Palestinian refugees in need”.

Following his trip to the refugee camp, Martin traveled to Amman, Jordan’s capital city, to meet with Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Safadi, Martin said he will go back to his European Union colleagues and question “who in their right mind” could take away funding from UNRWA, “an organisation that provides such an opportunity for young people”.

“It is, to me, completely unacceptable to be endeavouring to undermine UNRWA.” 

The Tánaiste said UNRWA is “indispensable”.

Speaking to reporters later in the day, Martin said Europe and other donors need to develop a situation whereby “just because something gets said or allegations are made” that “funding isn’t just automatically paused or reviewed or cut”.

“There has to be a proper system to interrogate any allegation that’s made.” 

Martin’s visit to the camp run by the UN agency was to show solidarity to the group who are among the only aid providers left for Palestinians.

Today the Tánaiste is visiting Talbeih Refugee Camp 50kms from Amman in Jordan. I’ve just arrived here and got a tour of the UNWRA school at the camp. Here teacher Asma al Saleh is teaching young Palestinian girls from the camp - the camp was established in 1968. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/g7HPV5plY5

— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) April 24, 2024

Speaking to reporters in Jordan this morning, UNRWA director Tamara al Rifa said that Ireland’s advocacy has been key in the agency’s “ability to maintain funding from some European countries, to convince the European Union to disburse funding to UNRWA”. 

“The relationship of UNRWA with Ireland very much mirrors the principled approach of Ireland and its foreign policy to the Israel-Palestine war,” al Rifa said. 

“Ireland has been very consistent and its approach to the region and with that very consistent in its support to UNRWA,” she said. 

She said that Ireland and Spain “as two leading supporters of UNRWA” have been very vocal in their support to the agency compared with other European countries.

Through that joint advocacy, al Rifa said, other supportive European countries also came out and expressed their support of UNRWA, such as Portugal, Belgium, Slovenia and Malta. 

“We are extremely grateful for Ireland’s advocacy.”

Tánaiste Mícheál Martin and Jordanian Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi. Martin said
barriers by Israel to aid shipments at Rafah are “morally reprehensible” and that it is an urgent situation that needs immediate action.
He has called out countries refusing to fund UNRWA. pic.twitter.com/2NGuFJ88oG

— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) April 24, 2024

Following his trip to the refugee camp, Martin traveled to Amman where he met with with Safadi. He will meet later with King Abdullah of Jordan.

Martin said he had a “constructive and substantive” meeting with Safadi. 

He said they discussed the question of recognition of Palestinian Statehood and what the best way of doing so is. 

Martin noted that Jordan has been working to try and open a land corridor into northern Gaza which could facilitate “very substantial levels of aid”. 

Speaking at the press conference with Safadi, Martin said: “We’re with you in terms of our absolute commitment to a two-state solution. What’s required immediately is a ceasefire, the release of all hostages and a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”

The Tánaiste said he is “very conscious of the challenge that Jordan faces”, adding that the “cross border attacks by Israel and Iran and potentially very destabilising and they risk all our war”. 

“Jordanian security and stability is particularly threatened by these worrying developments,” he said. 

Yesterday, Martin met with Egyptian officials and took a tour of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza.

Speaking to reporters after his tour, the Tánaiste said that he believes the people of Gaza are being “collectively punished” by Israel after visiting the border crossing. 

The Journal’s News Correspondent Niall O’Connor reporting from Jordan and Muiris O’Cearbhaill and Hayley Halpin reporting from Dublin.

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