The toll on UNRWA after a year of war in Gaza
Israel’s military has carried out repeated attacks on hospitals, schools and refugee camps run by the UN’s relief agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) since launching the war on Gaza nearly a year ago.
Al Jazeera’s Um-e-Kulsoom Shariff looks at the realities that UNRWA’s staff face on the ground.
Palestinian PM calls for doubling efforts to support UNRWA
Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Mustafa has called for doubling international efforts to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
His ministry said today on X that Mustafa told the ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York yesterday that “Israel cannot be allowed to destroy this long-term investment by the international community in human dignity and peace”.
“UNRWA’s role in addressing the Palestinian refugee crisis is more important than ever at this moment,” he was quoted as saying.
“Since the Nakba in 1948, UNRWA has been a lifeline for Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory,” Mustafa said.
“Today, in Gaza in particular, UNRWA has become more than just a service provider, it is a safe haven between life and death for our people in the Strip,” he added.
Lazzarini appeals for safeguarding UNRWA’s role in Gaza
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, says the agency “is critical for ensuring a viable transition” after the war ends in the Palestinian enclave.
He made the remarks yesterday at the ministerial meeting co-hosted by Jordan and Sweden on the margins of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York.
Lazzarini said the agency requires “a sustainable model of funding”, adding that UNRWA’s operations are only secure until the end of October, with a shortfall of $80m for this year.
He also called for the rejection of “attempts to tarnish UNRWA’s reputation and end its operations”.
“These efforts do not only threaten Palestine refugees. They threaten the multilateral system. They threaten a future political solution. Your actions at this critical juncture will have repercussions for generations to come. UNRWA is a formidable tool at your disposal – I urge you to use it wisely,” Lazzarini said.
