Humza Yousaf Under Review for £250,000 Gaza Donation Amid Conflict of Interest Allegations

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Former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf is under scrutiny following allegations of a conflict of interest related to a £250,000 donation to a Gaza aid agency. This controversy arose while members of his family were trapped in the warzone. Earlier this year, The Telegraph reported that Yousaf overruled officials' recommendations to donate £100,000 to £200,000 to Unicef for water programs in Gaza.

 

Instead, he directed that £250,000 of taxpayers' money be given to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the largest international aid agency operating in Gaza, which has faced criticism over alleged links to Hamas. Yousaf justified his decision by stating, "we should just announce an extra £250k to them" since he was about to meet with UNRWA officials.

 

 

The funding came from the International Development Fund, a £10 million fund reserved for projects in Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia, and Pakistan. The Scottish Government has now initiated a review of the processes involved in their response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This review was confirmed in response to a freedom of information request by Glasgow resident Craig Houston, who has been documenting the case on his YouTube channel, "Craig Houston Talks To."

 

A Scottish Government spokesperson stated that the review will focus on evolving future humanitarian funding mechanisms and processes. The £250,000 donation was announced publicly on November 2, the same day Yousaf met with senior UNRWA officials in Edinburgh. The following day, Yousaf’s mother-in-law and father-in-law were granted safe passage out of Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Yousaf, who resigned as first minister in April, denied any connection between the donation and the release of his family, stating that UNRWA had no role in his family's situation and that any suggestion of a conflict of interest would be completely untrue.

 

Despite these denials, Yousaf faced accusations that his actions represented a conflict of interest and breached the Scottish Ministerial Code, which mandates that ministers avoid any conflict between their public duties and private interests. Yousaf’s in-laws had traveled to Gaza in early October to visit relatives but became stranded when the war began, following the closure of border crossings after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7.

 

The controversy is compounded by recent actions from Britain, the United States, and other countries suspending funding to UNRWA after accusations that 12 of its workers participated in the October 7 attacks. The UN has also launched an inquiry into these claims. The UK Foreign Office expressed being "appalled" by the accusations, announcing a temporary pause in funding to UNRWA while reviewing the allegations.

 

Yousaf’s resignation as first minister in April followed his decision to scrap the Scottish National Party’s coalition deal with the Scottish Greens, leading to a vote of no confidence that he was poised to lose.

 

Credit: Dailty Telegraph 2024-07-16

 

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[cncltd1973]

appalling. Hamas thanks you for your ransom payment to release your in-laws from Gaza. using tax payer money! prosecute this Muslim clown, he is making a mockery of Scotland, with their money nonetheless!

[Evil Penevil]

Israel doesn't have enough international political clout to make it happen, but the best way to end Hamas would be to force the shutdown of UNRWA.  Without the massive support Hamas gets on a daily basis from UNRWA,  it would collapse in a week or two.