Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Occupied Palestine: Israeli occupation forces demolishe residential homes east of Khan Younis city in the southern Gaza Strip
Al Mayadeen correspondent: An Israeli drone attacked the main road in the town of Harouf, South Lebanon.
Lebanese President: Israeli aggression on Blida took place in aftermath of meeting of ceasefire monitoring committee.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asks Commander of Lebanese Army to confront any Israeli incursion into liberated Lebanese territory in the South.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli aircraft launch series of strikes on area of Jarmaq, South Lebanon.
Reuters: Afghanistan and Pakistan agree to restart peace talks in Istanbul.
Al-Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon: Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Blida municipality building two hours after occupying it, and the Lebanese army enters
Pakistani army: 6 soldiers and 7 militants killed in clash near the Afghan border
Israeli media: Sirens sound in the settlement of Kerem Shalom in the Gaza envelope area
Afghan source to Al Mayadeen: We still believe in dialogue and prioritize diplomatic solutions with Pakistan; though we are ready for all possibilities.

UNRWA digitizes 75 years of Palestinian refugee history

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Social media
  • 11 Jan 2025 11:45
6 Min Read

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has emphasized the agency's role as the guardian of Palestinian refugees' identity and history for 75 years.

Listen
  • x
  • Commissioner-General of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, leaves after he meets with Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib, in Beirut, Lebanon, on September 17, 2024. (AP)
    Commissioner-General of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, leaves after he meets with Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib, in Beirut, Lebanon, on September 17, 2024. (AP)

UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, highlighted that for 75 years, UNRWA has acted as the custodian of Palestinian refugees' identity and history.

In a post on X, Lazzarini said the agency has carefully preserved its family archives, which chronicle the experiences of refugees.

Through the dedicated efforts of UNRWA teams, thousands of archival documents from Gaza and the West Bank were safely relocated and digitized, as per UNRWA's chief.

.@UNRWA, the custodian of identify and history of #Palestine Refugees
👇 pic.twitter.com/DEdpE6f53v

— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) January 10, 2025

He went on to stress that this preservation is vital to safeguarding the rights of Palestinian refugees in accordance with international law.

Lazzarini also stressed the need for a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, one that comprehensively addresses the plight of Palestinian refugees once and for all.

US, UK officials warn UNRWA ban to cause 'catastrophe', 'suffering'

US State Department officials have lately warned the Trump administration transition team of a potential humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza due to a new Israeli law barring contact with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), according to three US officials who spoke to Axios. The law is set to take effect at the end of the month, shortly after President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

After over a year of aggression and destruction, Gaza is left teetering on the edge of uninhabitability, with the UN and other aid organizations issuing grave warnings. Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed, nearly two million Palestinians have been displaced, and the population remains heavily reliant on international aid for essential needs, such as food, water, and medical care.

State Department officials briefed Joel Rayburn, a key figure in the Trump transition team and a former US envoy to Syria, on the dire implications of the new Israeli law. Rayburn, expected to assume the role of Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs, was informed of the significant risks posed by the restrictions on UNRWA's operations in Gaza.

"We wanted them to know what is going to happen 10 days into their presidency," one US official told Axios. "We thought it was the responsible thing to do. It's a catastrophe waiting to happen."

Related News

Rubio says UNRWA to play no role in Gaza aid deliveries

ICJ rules 'Israel' failed to prove UNRWA staff are Hamas members

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also expressed concern, writing to the UN General Assembly in December about the devastating impact of curtailing UNRWA activities in Gaza and the West Bank. “There is currently no realistic alternative to UNRWA which could adequately provide the services and assistance required,” Guterres emphasized.

The Israeli law, set to take effect within days of Trump's inauguration, adds to a growing list of global crises awaiting President-elect Trump and his team. With Gaza's humanitarian situation rapidly deteriorating, international observers are closely watching how the administration will navigate this pressing issue in the Middle East.

UNRWA ban to cause 'tremendous suffering'

The United Kingdom, meanwhile, expressed grave concern over the Israeli occupation's decision to ban UNRWA, emphasizing that no organization can substitute its critical role.

Development Minister Anneliese Dodds told parliament that the legislation must not go into force, reaffirming the necessity of UNRWA's work. Her comments came in response to a question from the International Development Committee regarding her concerns over the impending ban, set to take effect in three weeks.

UNRWA has lately issued an urgent warning, highlighting the potentially devastating impact on its ability to deliver vital services to millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, and the eastern part of al-Quds. Dodds underscored the unique role of UNRWA, stating that no other organization can provide aid and services across the region as effectively.

Dodds stressed that the ban would cause "tremendous suffering" not only in Gaza but throughout the region, citing UNRWA's decades-long UN mandate to carry out its mission.

During discussions with the committee, Dodds revealed she had "very long conversations" with Israeli officials, where she clearly communicated her government's stance. When asked if the Israeli occupation was responsive, Dodds acknowledged the need for concrete changes, particularly regarding support for UNRWA and barriers to aid access.

Dodds reiterated the UK government's position, calling for a ceasefire, the release of captives, and a significant surge in promised aid to Gaza. Pressed about potential UK actions if UNRWA ceases operations, she indicated that the government had outlined the consequences of the Knesset vote but did not provide specific details.

UNRWA urges Knesset to reverse decision

Speaking in an interview for Ireland's RTE, UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma has lately stressed the critical nature of the situation. "The clock is ticking for a possible ban on UNRWA to deliver essential services for millions of Palestine refugees," she said. Touma noted that this move would be "unprecedented" in UN history and called on the Knesset to reverse its decision immediately.

"It has never happened in the history of the United Nations that a member state decides to ban a UN agency, in the middle of a war, from doing its work," Touma pointed out, adding that the UN has no plans to replace the agency's role in the occupied territories.

The legislation passed by "Israel's" parliament mandates a complete withdrawal of UNRWA within 90 days, including the closure of its offices and freezing of its financial accounts in "Israel." The law also designates UNRWA as a terror group, nullifying a 1967 agreement that allowed the agency to assist Palestinian refugees in Israeli-occupied areas.

The proposed Knesset bills follow allegations by the occupation that some UNRWA staff were involved in the October 7 operation. As a result, nine staff members have been dismissed, with no proof of the Israeli claims provided. If the agency is shut down, UNRWA's senior emergency officer Louise Wateridge warned, "UNRWA does something like 17,000 health consultations a day in the Gaza Strip. It's impossible for another agency to replace that."

  • UNRWA
  • Israeli aggression
  • Gaza genocide
  • Palestinian refugees
  • Israeli occupation
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Hi-tech holocaust: Microsoft’s role in Gaza genocide

Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed

  • Technology
  • 28 Oct 2025
What Marr evidently didn't seem to understand was that Hedges isn't saying that Western journalists manipulate the truth, but that they systematically amplify Israeli narratives they know are false. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Western journalists know they have a case to answer for their betrayal of Gaza, and it frightens them

  • Opinion
  • 24 Oct 2025
Sheikh Naim Qassem speaks during an interview with Al-Manar TV, October 26, 2025 (Screenshot)

Hezbollah ready to face 'Israel' in case of war: Sheikh Naim Qassem

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
ap
Politics

Hamas calls on int’l community to act against Israeli settlement plan

In this Nov. 9, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, chats with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (AP)
Economy

Ex-US diplomat says Trump-Xi deal 'tactical retreat', not lasting deal

An unarmed Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, during a test in 2002. (US Air Force)
Politics

JD Vance defends Trump's nuclear test plan as 'crucial for security'

Ultra-Orthodox Jews attend the "million man" protest against military conscription, in occupied al-Quds, October 30, 2025 (AFP)
Politics

Haredi mass rally in al-Quds exposes Zionist regime's growing crisis

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS