Romania has suspended its voluntary payments to the United Nations' Palestinian aid agency (UNRWA), the foreign ministry (MAE) said on Monday, joining a series of countries to do so pending a full investigation into accusations that its employees were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Reuters correspondent reports. "We express our full confidence that the U.N. investigation will clarify the situation as soon as possible," the ministry said. "Until the investigation is concluded, the ministry will ... not make any new voluntary contributions to UNRWA." MAE also said it welcomes the swift response of UNRWA leadership to immediately terminate the contracts of the individuals concerned. It went on to express full confidence that the UN investigations will clarify the situation. “Until the conclusion of the investigation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will not launch procedures for new voluntary contributions to UNRWA. The needs of Palestinian civilians will continue to be a priority for Romania, and we will maintain our coordination with our partners, including at the European level,” the statement added. The decision comes after a shocking revelation that agency staff were allegedly involved in the attacks on Israel. "The Israeli authorities have provided UNRWA with information about the alleged involvement of several UNRWA employees in the horrific attacks in Israel on October 7," said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA's Commissioner-General. Following these allegations, ten other countries have announced so far that they are suspending funding for the UN agency. The United States immediately announced on Friday the temporary cessation of any future financial contributions to UNRWA. Similar decisions were then taken by Canada, Australia, Italy, the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, and Germany. The agency announced that it had dismissed 12 employees, according to the United States. In 2022, funds from the UN budget and contributions from other UN entities to the agency amounted to USD 44.6 million. The EU is demanding an “urgent” audit of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA and says it is reviewing funding, following Israeli allegations that some staff participated in Hamas’s October 7 attack. The audit should be led by European Commission-appointed experts and be conducted alongside a UN investigation into the claims, commission spokesman Eric Mamer tells journalists. The EU was the agency’s third largest funder in 2022, behind the US and Germany, which have already announced funding freezes.
Authorities managing Romania's Bicaz Gorges–Hășmaș National Park has built a fish ladder system on the Bicaz River, which will allow protected species to migrate and reproduce. There are several bridges and small bridge structures in the Bicaz River that have a “bottom sill,” meaning small waterfalls. Fish that do not jump like the trout cannot […]
The far-right opposition parties in the Romanian Parliament are set to file a motion of no confidence against the government headed by prime minister Ilie Bolojan. The motion, authored by senator Ninel Peia of the Peace – Romania First group, is specifically aimed at the reformist party Save Romania Union (USR), and is entitled “Romania […]
Romania's iconic rock singer Adrian Pleșca, known as “Artan,” died on Tuesday, December 2, after a fatal stroke, at the age of 64. The artist founded the well-known band “Timpuri Noi” in 1982 and “Partizan” in 2001, and was popular on the Romanian rock scene. Over the years, he left and returned to the two bands. Several […]
Elon Musk's mother, Maye Musk, re-shared a post about the Craiova Christmas Market on X on Monday, December 1. She described the event as "beautiful" and included three emojis in her caption. The original post highlighted that the Craiova Christmas Market was taking place in a safe environment. "No concrete barriers. No armed guards. No […]
Real estate developer Globalworth has begun construction on Green Court D, the fourth building in its Green Court office complex in Bucharest’s Aurel Vlaicu area. Scheduled for completion in 2027, the project is now in its preliminary phase, which includes enclosure works and excavation for the basement structure, the company said. The new building will […]
Romania’s National Committee for Emergency Situations decided to distribute drinking water from the state reserves to 13 localities in the counties of Prahova and Dâmboviţa. The area was severely impacted by a drop in water levels at the Paltinu Dam, leading to problems in the water distribution system and affecting over 100,000 people, local hospitals, […]
