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WORLD NEWS Thursday 7 November 2019

Head of UN agency for Palestinian refugees resigns

By EDITH M. LEDERER education, health care,
Associated Press food and other services to
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — 5.5 million refugees, their
The head of the U.N. agen- children and grandchildren
cy for Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza
resigned on Wednesday, Strip as well as Jordan, Syria
following an internal inves- and Lebanon.
tigation whose preliminary A confidential report by the
results reflected concerns U.N. ethics office obtained
over allegations of possible by The Associated Press in
sexual misconduct, nepo- July claimed UNRWA man-
tism and other abuses of agers including Krahenbuhl
authority at the agency. had "engaged in sexual
The allegations in the ethics misconduct, nepotism, re-
report came amid a finan- taliation, discrimination and
cial crisis for the agency, other abuses of authority."
sparked by the unprec- Citing information from
edented loss of all funding some 25 current and past
from the United States, its UNRWA directors and staff,
largest donor. the ethics report said an "in-
U.N. spokesman Stephane ner circle" comprising Kra-
Dujarric, who made the henbuhl, his deputy San-
announcement, said the In this Aug. 30, 2018 file photo, Pierre Krahenbuhl, Commissioner-General of the United Nations dra Mitchell, Chief of Staff
resignation of the agen- Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), speaks at a press conference in Hakam Shahwan and se-
cy's commissioner-general, Amman, Jordan. nior adviser Maria Moham-
Pierre Krahenbuhl, was ef- Associated Press medi had bypassed normal
fective immediately. said Krahenbuhl informed commissioner-general Wednesday announced decision-making processes
Earlier Wednesday, Du- Guterres of his immediate as the revelations first that Krahenbuhl had tem- and sidelined field and pro-
jarric said U.N. Secretary- resignation and the U.N. emerged. He began his porarily stepped aside. gram directors and other
General Antonio Guterres chief thanked him "for his U.N. career in 1989 with Its statement said the on- senior staff.
had placed Krahenbuhl on commitment and dedica- UNRWA in Gaza and was going review by the U.N. The report alleges that Kra-
"administrative leave." The tion" to the U.N. Relief and most recently U.N. assistant internal watchdog turned henbuhl, a Swiss national
spokesman also said that Works Agency, known as secretary-general for sup- up "a number of areas that who was appointed to
the initial findings of the in- UNRWA. Guterres had al- ply chain management. required strengthening" at lead UNRWA on March 30,
vestigation by the U.N. Of- ready appointed Christian Saunders "will lead the UNRWA, which was estab- 2014, started a relationship
fice of Internal Oversight Saunders to act as officer- implementation of a man- lished to aid the 700,000 Pal- with Mohammedi late that
Services "exclude fraud or in-charge of UNRWA, dur- agement plan to strength- estinians who fled or were year that "went beyond
misappropriation of opera- ing Krahenbuhl's leave. en the Agency, particularly forced from their homes the professional," creat-
tional funds by the commis- Saunders, a Briton, had in the areas of oversight during the war surround- ed "a toxic environment,"
sioner-general." been appointed as and accountability," Du- ing Israel's establishment in and caused "frequent
Several hours later, he UNRWA's acting deputy jarric said. UNRWA earlier 1948. UNRWA now provides embarrassment."q

Airline says false hijack alarm caused Dutch airport alert

By PETER DEJONG ing to the airport was a false a suspicious situation at
MIKE CORDER alarm. The warning that the airport on the outskirts
Associated Press triggers hijack protocols at of Amsterdam. Dutch me-
SCHIPHOL, Netherlands airports "was activated, by dia reported that heav-
(AP) — An accidental hi- mistake," on a plane that ily armed arrest teams and
jack warning set off from was bound for Madrid, other emergency service
the cockpit of a plane the carrier tweeted. It did forces were deployed to
triggered a big secu- not say who activated the the airport. The military
rity operation at Amster- warning or how. police said in a tweet that
dam's Schiphol Airport on "Nothing has happened, it followed all protocols
Wednesday night, a Span- all passengers are safe and following the alarm and
ish airline and Dutch mili- sound waiting to fly soon. would now investigate Dutch police mill about after a threat at Schiphol airport in
tary police said. We deeply apologize," the how the report of a hijack Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019.
Air Europa said in a tweet airline said. The Dutch mili- or hostage situation came Associated Press
that the scare that sent tary police service earlier from the plane's cockpit. airport spokesman Dennis Press. "All flights can now
emergency services rush- said it was responding to "The situation is now safe," Muller told The Associated depart." q