2024-04-29 00:35:27
(Keystone-ATS) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will not replace the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). “We already have enough to do without trying to replace other organizations,” said ICRC director Pierre Krähenbühl on Monday.
The Genevan reacted in Le Temps to the desire of elected officials from the UDC and part of the PLR to see the ICRC replace the UNRWA, under fire from criticism for several weeks.
“We have completely different mandates. UNRWA received its own from the UN General Assembly, the ICRC from the Geneva Conventions, he says. The ICRC will therefore not take over the mandate of UNRWA”. The organization “already has enough to do without trying to replace other organizations,” he adds.
“No misconduct issues”
The new director general of the ICRC, and former boss of UNRWA, also returned to the criticism leveled against him by American Republican senators. In March, they sent a letter to the ICRC Assembly in which they demanded the departure of Pierre Krähenbühl and threatened to cut American funds granted to the institution.
When he was recruited, a formal request was made to the UN to see if there had been any problems of misconduct at the head of UNRWA, he said. “The UN response was clear and formal: there was nothing,” he said.
“Stabilized” financial situation
In addition to criticism linked to UNRWA, the ICRC has been shaken by a serious financial crisis. The organization’s budget was reduced to 700 million in 2024 and 4,000 positions were eliminated.
“The last departures took place in March,” indicates Pierre Krähenbühl, who evokes a certain inner fragility in terms of cohesion and confidence. The volume of operations has also suffered, notably in Iraq, South Sudan, Nigeria and elsewhere, he says.
The Genevan, however, affirms that the financial situation of the ICRC is now stabilized. “There were two projects to carry out at the time of the crisis: we had to make budget cuts, but we also had to develop a new institutional strategy at the same time,” he explains. To have managed to do it in one year is no small feat”.
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