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Agency exists today because a political solution does not: UNRWA chief

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
12 Jul 2024 23:15

Three UN chiefs warn that dismantling the agency would devastate humanitarian efforts in Gaza and the West Bank.

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Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike on a school run by UNRWA, the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees, in al-Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, Palestine, on May 14, 2024. (AP)

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, stated on July 12 that 118 countries have signed a joint commitment to support UNRWA, based on an initiative launched by Slovenia, Jordan, and Kuwait.

He addressed efforts to dismantle the agency and classify it as a terrorist organization, affirming that "the notion that the Agency can be dismantled without triggering the collapse of the humanitarian response in Gaza, and causing chaos in other areas of operation is naïve at best."

Lazzarini spoke during an UNRWA support conference in New York following a minute of silence in honor of the agency's staff who were killed during the Israeli aggression on Gaza. He emphasized that there is no alternative to the agency in Gaza, noting that "UNRWA is the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza."

Thank you 🙏
An impressive show of solidarity and support of 118 member states including all members of the UN Security Council.

It comes at a critical time as @UNRWA undergoes unprecedented attacks and systematic attempts to dismantle it.

It is a tribute to our staff working… pic.twitter.com/3Iz52fMYbM
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) July 12, 2024

"Gaza is decimated," proclaimed Lazzarini, adding that "more than two million people are trapped in a living hell. They have been displaced repeatedly across a ravaged and increasingly lawless territory."

He also pointed out that children and women bear the brunt of the brutal wars on Gaza, stating, "Acute food insecurity is claiming the lives of children and severely affecting women who often eat last and least."

Lazzarini highlighted that "many have lost their limbs to amputation, their hearing to blasts, and their speech to shock and trauma," emphasizing that "in the shadow of Gaza, another tragedy is unfolding in the West Bank" where "more than 500 Palestinians have been killed since October, including at least 130 children."

He stressed that attacks by Israeli settlers, incursions by Israeli occupation forces, and the destruction of homes and vital infrastructures are part of a repression system, noting that tensions along the Lebanese border are simmering, threatening a full-scale war.

Greatest tragedy since 1948

Significantly, Lazzarini explained that "Palestinians are witnessing today their greatest tragedy since 1948" and noted that much as "as they have done for 75 years, they are looking to UNRWA for help."

The UNRWA chief then underscored that the agency has been a force for stability throughout the region for decades, driving human development for Palestinian refugees by providing essential services, such as education and healthcare.

"The Agency exists today because a political solution does not," said Lazzarini.

Regarding the damages suffered by the agency since the Israeli aggression on Gaza began, Lazzarini stated that UNRWA paid a high price in Gaza.

He stated that 195 UNRWA colleagues "have been killed" and about 190 facilities were "damaged or destroyed, killing more than 500 people seeking United Nations protection."

He also highlighted that UNRWA staff detained by Israeli occupation forces have reported mistreatment and torture, while the agency's convoys have been targeted. Lazzarini exclaimed that turning a blind eye to these attacks sets a dangerous precedent.

Moreover, the UNRWA Comissioner-General announced that the agency requested $1.2 billion to meet the humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees but has received only 20%.

He expressed UNRWA's gratitude, saying, "I would like to thank the 118 Member States that have signed the shared commitment to support the Agency."

However, Lazzarini said, "The fundamental fiscal challenge remains – UNRWA lacks the resources to deliver its mandate," adding that "the Agency’s ability to operate beyond August depends on Member States disbursing planned funding and making new contributions to the core budget."

In conclusion, Lazzarini noted, "I must reiterate that the world has changed drastically since we last met," stressing that "UNRWA is under greater pressure than ever before" and emphasizing that "If we maintain the status quo, the Agency will crumble and millions of children, women and men will pay a heavy price."

No alternative to UNRWA: Guterres

On his part, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proclaimed, "Let me be clear: there is no alternative to UNRWA."

Guterres said, "The extreme level of fighting and devastation is incomprehensible and inexcusable," adding that "nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

The UN chief then added that "recent days have brought yet more evacuation orders by Israeli authorities, yet more civilian suffering, and yet more bloodshed," stressing that "Palestinians in Gaza keep being forced to move like human pinballs across a landscape of destruction and death."

Guterres also appealed for the protection of UNRWA, stating that 195 of its staff have been killed in Gaza, the highest number of casualties in humanitarian relief work.

"Now is also the time to work on all fronts to support UNRWA’s critical mission" and "now is the time to bring an end to this terrible war," Guterres affirmed.

On the brink of collapse, UNRWA must prevail

For his part, the president of the United Nations General Assembly, Dennis Francis, stated that "197 UNWRA staff members have paid the ultimate price" in humanitarian work, warning that "UNRWA is currently standing on the precipice of financial collapse."

He emphasized that "UNRWA is no stranger to crisis. Throughout its history, it has often operated amidst armed conflict. However, the current levels of death and destruction in the Gaza Strip are on an unprecedented scale."

The president called for a comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East through a "two-state" solution, adding that the General Assembly must ensure adequate financial support for UNRWA's continued work, urging donations to keep Palestinian refugees alive everywhere.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, Tanja Fajon, called for an immediate ceasefire, stressing that "the violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza have to stop."

Moreover, Fajon noted that "famine became a new weapon of war," emphasizing that civilians are suffering, and condemned the targeting of UN workers and posts.

In parallel with the destruction of UNRWA buildings and the killing of its staff, the United States and several European countries cut off funding to the international agency on allegations that some of its staff participated in the October 7 events within the context of the US-Israeli starvation war practiced against the people of Gaza.

Despite some countries' withdrawal from suspending their assistance, the United States announced the continuation of the funding embargo on the agency until March 2025.

UNRWA was established in 1949 to care for refugees' affairs when the issue of Palestinian refugees emerged, most of whom fled to the West Bank and Gaza, as well as neighboring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, due to the Israeli occupation of Palestine in 1948 and the displacement of Palestinians from their land.