Secretary-General António Guterres, standing alongside top officials in New York today (12 Jul), underscored the essential need to bolster the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA) across the Middle East amid continued attacks on its mandate, staff, premises and operations.
Speaking at a pledging conference for the agency, the UN chief outlined the countless challenges facing Palestinian civilians in Gaza. He said, “in impossible conditions and in the midst of their own grief, the women and men of UNRWA have bravely continued their work in whatever way they can. They are the backbone of humanitarian operations in Gaza. And can you imagine what it must be like to be in this situation? Can you imagine? Our colleagues wake up day after they in a living nightmare and still deliver for Palestinians in desperate need. Because I cannot.”
Guterres said UNRWA staff, “are doctors, nurses, counsellors, engineers, drivers and so many others, all demonstrating incredible courage and solidarity. And they are continuing to deliver UNRWA’s mandate in desperate circumstances in Gaza, while UNRWA also strives to deliver in an increasingly challenging situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, championing human development and human rights.”
“Hopelessness is the greatest ally of instability,” he warned, stressing that through its work, “UNRWA is one of the greatest factors providing hope and stability across a troubled region.”
The UN Chief said, “without the necessary support and financing to UNWRA, Palestine, refugees will lose a critical lifeline and the last ray of hope for a better future. To those of you who have already pledged support, I thank you. And my appeal to everyone is this; protect UNRWA, protect UNRWA's staff. And protect UNRWA's mandate, including through funding.”
The agency has been supporting critical services including education, health and social services to some 5.9 million Palestine refugees, including vulnerable groups such as women, children, and persons with disabilities.
It also administers 58 refugee camps, addressing the dire humanitarian needs of over 1.6 million people across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said, “for decades, the agency has been a force for stability across the region. It is a driver of human development for Palestinian refugees providing public-like services such as education and healthcare. Today, however, UN one is staggering. Under the weight of relentless attacks.”
Lazzarini said, “in more than 30 years of humanitarian work, I have never encountered such blatant disregard for the protected statue of humanitarian workers, facilities and operations under international law. Turning a blind eye to these attacks sets a dangerous precedent, undermining respect for the rules based international order in other conflicts.”
In the Gaza Strip, more than 38,000 Palestinians are reported to have been killed, a further 88,000 injured and about 90 percent of population