Published : 08-11-2019
The head of the main UN agency for Palestinian refugees has resigned following alleged accusations of bias and abuses of authority.
In a statement on Wednesday, the UN said Pierre Krähenbühl had quitted with immediate effect his role as commissioner general at the refugee agency after an internal investigation found “management issues.”
Krähenbühl handed in his resignation to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, amid extensive coverage of the allegations, just hours after he had agreed to step aside provisionally sometime earlier in the day.
The problems at the agency are believed to have come to light following a wave of pressure by the US and Israel to end the agency’s mandate.
The ad hominem campaign resulted in many donor countries, including Switzerland and Belgium, suspending funding to UNRWA.
The US already cut its funding in 2018, bringing about a severe financial crisis which the agency, which provides support to 5.5 million Palestinian refugees, continues to struggle with.
The head of the main UN agency for Palestinian refugees has resigned following alleged accusations of bias and abuses of authority.
In a statement on Wednesday, the UN said Pierre Krähenbühl had quitted with immediate effect his role as commissioner general at the refugee agency after an internal investigation found “management issues.”
Krähenbühl handed in his resignation to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, amid extensive coverage of the allegations, just hours after he had agreed to step aside provisionally sometime earlier in the day.
The problems at the agency are believed to have come to light following a wave of pressure by the US and Israel to end the agency’s mandate.
The ad hominem campaign resulted in many donor countries, including Switzerland and Belgium, suspending funding to UNRWA.
The US already cut its funding in 2018, bringing about a severe financial crisis which the agency, which provides support to 5.5 million Palestinian refugees, continues to struggle with.
