UNRWA chief urges the world to prevent the agency's 'collapse'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: UNRWA newsroom
14 Nov 2024 05:10

In an address to the UNGA, Lazzarini underlined the threats faced by the agency following an Israeli decision to ban its work.

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The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, Philippe Lazzarini addresses the United Nations Security Council meeting at UN Headquarters, on April 17, 2024. (AP)

A collapse of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) "the lives and futures of people and communities," the head of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Lazzarini's remarks come after the Israeli regime passed a law that prohibits the work of the agency in territories it occupies, severely hindering humanitarian efforts, especially in the besieged Gaza Strip. Moreover, the UN Security Council met on Tuesday to address the possibility of a dangerous famine striking Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

"The risk of the Agency’s collapse threatens the lives and futures of people and communities, the region’s stability, and the integrity of our multilateral system," Lazzarini posted on X.

He highlighted UNRWA's international mandate to "directly provide" basic services to over half a million Palestinian children in Gaza.

The official said that the agency has become a "casualty of war," pointing to the 243 UNRWA personnel killed and several others detained and tortured. Moreover, more than 66% of the agency's facilities have been damaged or destroyed in the Israeli war on Gaza.

He also condemned the use of UNRWA's facilities for military purposes.

Lazzarini put forward a series of requests to the UNGA, asking that the international community safeguard UNRWA and the rights of Palestinian refugees, protect the UN's multilateral system, and utilize all legal and political tools to uphold the international rules-based order.