UNRWA ban risks deepening crisis in occupied Palestinian territories
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With the January 28 deadline for the ban implementation nearing, PRIO emphasized the critical threat to millions of Palestinian refugees who rely on UNRWA for vital services.
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A UNRWA worker in Jenin collects rubbish from the streets of a refugee camp, on January 30, 2024. (AFP)
The impending ban of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) could drastically disrupt humanitarian efforts in Gaza and lead to the collapse of essential healthcare and education systems in the occupied West Bank, Anadolu Agency warned on Wednesday, citing a report by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).
With the January 28 deadline for implementation nearing, PRIO emphasized the critical threat to millions of Palestinian refugees who rely on UNRWA for vital services, including education, health care, and food aid.
"UNRWA provides a lifeline to some of the most vulnerable communities in the region," said Jorgen Jensehaugen, senior PRIO researcher and co-author of the study. He cautioned that the agency’s collapse would "cripple humanitarian operations in Gaza and destabilize healthcare and education for thousands in the West Bank."
With only a matter of days until the Israeli Knesset's @UNRWA ban is set to take effect, we must act now! UNRWA is the lifeline for #Palestine refugees in the occupied Palestinian territory. Join UNRWA USA in taking action today!
— UNRWA USA (@unrwausa) January 21, 2025
👉Advocate & donate: https://t.co/gmAeWDi8By pic.twitter.com/91NOxJlMiE
The report highlighted the immense challenges of replacing UNRWA’s infrastructure, estimating delays of one to three years and significant costs. It is worth noting that education programs could be replaced by fragmented, lower-quality initiatives run by various agencies.
"The clock is ticking, and without coordinated global action, the repercussions will be serious, most acutely affecting Gaza, but also having the potential to push the situation in the West Bank across the brink," Jensehaugen warned.
Driving the news
The Israeli Knesset voted in October to ban UNRWA operations in areas under Israeli occupation, alleging links between some of its staff and October 7—a claim UNRWA has categorically denied. If enacted, the ban would close UNRWA offices and freeze its financial accounts in "Israel", effectively halting its operations.
Established in 1949, UNRWA supports nearly 5.9 million Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. "Israel" has long pushed to shut down UNRWA, claiming it perpetuates the refugee issue while denying the Palestinian right of return established in its 1948 UN membership conditions.
The first phase of a Gaza ceasefire agreement began on January 19, pausing the genocide that has claimed nearly 47,200 Palestinian lives, mostly women and children, and injured over 111,160 since October 7, 2023. The three-phase deal includes prisoner exchanges and aims for a permanent truce and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
#Rafah: After months of repeated displacement in other parts of #Gaza, people are returning to massive destruction.
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) January 22, 2025
Homes, hospitals, schools, including UNRWA premises - no place has been spared. pic.twitter.com/7LFnYPhr2F
The Israeli war has left Gaza in ruins, with half of its housing destroyed or damaged, forcibly displacing nearly 2 million people amid severe shortages of necessities.
It is worth noting that the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant for charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, "Israel" faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice related to its actions in the region.
