Ammon News - Sweden said on Saturday it would resume suspended payments to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), with a grant of 200m crowns ($20m/£16m), reports Reuters.

Several countries, including the US and the UK, paused their funding to UNRWA after accusations by Israel that 12 of the agency’s 13,000 staff in Gaza took part in the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel.

The Swedish government said it had resumed payments after UNRWA agreed to strengthen internal controls and to extra checks on its employees, among other measures.

In a statement, as reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Swedish government said: “The government has allocated 400m kronor to UNRWA for the year 2024. Today’s decision concerns a first payment of 200m kronor.”

It said that to unblock the aid, UNRWA had agreed to “allow controls, independent audits, to strengthen internal supervision and extra controls of personnel.”

The Swedish move came after the European Commission earlier this month said it would release €50m ($55m/£43m) in UNRWA funding.

Also, Canada has announced it will resume aid payments to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

The Canadian statement said the funding would resume while investigations into the staff members continue.

Canada is the 11st largest contributor to the UNRWA budget, 2022 data shows.

The decision to resume funding was announced in a statement on Friday by Canada's Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen.

He said the decision was made "in recognition of the robust investigative process underway" into the allegations.

He added that the temporary pause in donations was being lifted "so more can be done to respond to the urgent needs of Palestinian civilians".

In addition, the Canadian Armed Forces will donate around 300 cargo parachutes to Jordan, so they can be used to airdrop supplies into Gaza.

The Guardian & BBC