Trump Highlights UNRWA Employee Allegations Amid Calls for Reform
Recently, former President Donald Trump brought attention to a U.S. government investigation that has identified over 100 current and former employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for suspected links to Hamas. This comes as a new report from UN Watch claims that UNRWA has exaggerated its progress on necessary reforms.
In August, Trump shared the findings on his social media platform, Truth Social. The UN Watch report, released on Monday, disputes UNRWA’s statement that it has successfully implemented 41 out of 50 reforms suggested by an independent review led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. The watchdog group contends that only 13 of these reforms have been authentically completed, asserting that UNRWA has counted efforts like creating policies or pilot programs as full implementations, even if they haven’t been put into practical use.
“UNRWA is grading its own homework and claiming success for changes that mostly exist only on paper,” said Hillel Neuer, the Executive Director of UN Watch. He emphasized that simply creating a policy does not count as a reform if it is not actively enforced, especially when influenced by unions aligned with Hamas.
One of the controversial points in the report is about staff vetting. UNRWA lists a “Commercial Vetting Pilot & Costed Plan” as finished, yet UN Watch argues that a pilot program doesn’t equate to a fully operational vetting system.
The report also questions the agency’s educational reforms. While UNRWA claims to have reviewed textbooks and conducted classroom inspections, certain problematic educational content is still noted as “in progress.” Colonna highlighted these issues earlier in 2024, pointing out concerns like the glorification of violence and maps excluding Israel, calling for a strict approach to these matters.
During a U.N. briefing, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric was asked how the agency verifies the implementation of its reforms. He stated that monitoring goes beyond mere checklists, focusing instead on genuine execution. Dujarric mentioned that UNRWA regularly reports to the General Assembly and holds meetings for member states to scrutinize its operations.
When pressed about staff screening, he responded that UNRWA relies partially on the countries in which it operates to check backgrounds. He explained that UNRWA shares staff lists with authorities in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, and that any concerns noted by these countries should be communicated directly to UNRWA for appropriate action.
The review by Colonna was commissioned after allegations emerged that UNRWA employees may have engaged in the October 7 attacks. Secretary-General António Guterres accepted all recommendations from the review in April 2024 and agreed to create an action plan for implementation.
Neuer argues that the disagreement over reform completion isn’t simply about semantics. “UNRWA claims to have completed its tasks, yet there are still teachers affiliated with terrorist groups in classrooms, unions that hinder discipline, and children who are exposed to harmful influence,” he pointed out. “These issues have real-world repercussions, not just technicalities.”
