73661 (2024). Chlöe Swarbrick to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

73661 (2024). Chlöe Swarbrick to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: What steps, if any, is the New Zealand Government taking to ensure humanitarian aid is provided promptly to Palestinians following the recent decision by the Israeli Government to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating in Israel?

Rt Hon Winston Peters: The Government has joined Canada and Australia, and other partners in expressing our concern with the legislation adopted by Israel impacting UNRWA. We have also expressed our concerns directly to Israel. Israel is required under the Fourth Geneva Convention to ensure that the needs of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are met. If Israel is not in a position to meet those needs, it has an obligation to agree to relief schemes, including those of humanitarian organisations, and to facilitate them to ensure the needs of the civilian population are met. Since October 7, 2023, New Zealand has provided NZ$22 Million in support of the humanitarian response to the Israel-Hamas Conflict, including NZ$10.5 million to World Food Programme, NZ $5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross, NZ$4.5 million to the United Nations Children Fund, and NZ$2 million to the United Nations 2720 Mechanism for Gaza. This funding is separate to New Zealand's NZ$1 million annual core contribution to UNRWA.