LONDON: Denmark announced on Tuesday the disbursement of all planned funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, amounting to over €14 million ($16.54 million) for 2026.

“UNRWA is an indispensable lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza & the region,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen wrote on X.

He added: “Continued support is essential especially with UNRWA under intense pressure. Urge more to follow.”

In 2023, Denmark and UNRWA signed a five-year support agreement totaling $75.2 million between 2023 and 2027, with an annual contribution of around $15.2 million (DKK 105 million).

The funding comes after Israeli authorities recently demolished UNRWA’s headquarters in Jerusalem and stormed its premises in the occupied West Bank on several occasions. Britain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal, and Spain condemned the demolition.

Israeli forces bombed and destroyed several UNRWA buildings in the Gaza Strip, accusing the agency of employing Hamas members involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. UNRWA stated that Israel has not provided evidence for its accusations, which have endangered UNRWA staff and harmed the organization’s reputation.

The Danish contribution will support UNRWA’s essential services for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The agency employs 12,000 people in the Palestinian territories, and its health care, education, and social protection services are vital to Palestinians.