Israeli laws against the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ) threaten the very existence of the agency , its commissioner-general told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
Philippe Lazzarini addressed the UN's highest deliberative body to remind member states that UNRWA is the only pillar of life left standing for the Palestinians.
After stating that this is the darkest moment for the Agency, he argued that since the beginning of the war in Gaza , Israel announced its objective to dismantle UNRWA.
“But their intentions go beyond undermining UNRWA and the UN: they seek to end the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and their aspirations for a just political solution,” he said.
Lazzarini added that the laws adopted last week by the Knesset—which prohibit all Agency operations in Israeli territory 90 days after their enactment and declare the agency illegal, stripping it of its immunity—advance the unilateral intention to change the established parameters for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
“Knesset legislation prohibits contact between Israeli state officials and representatives of UNRWA and prohibits the Agency’s operations in what it calls the sovereign territory of the State of Israel,” he explained.
The consequences would be disastrous.
The consequences of its implementation will be disastrous, he continued, detailing that in Gaza, the dismantling of UNRWA will collapse the UN's humanitarian response , which relies heavily on the Agency's infrastructure.
Furthermore, these laws will deprive Palestinian children of their right to education by preventing UNRWA schools from operating. The future of a generation will be sacrificed, sowing the seeds of marginalization and extremism, he warned.
The commissioner general reviewed the catastrophe suffered by the Palestinians in Gaza , which has now lasted thirteen months, stressing that the death toll exceeds 43.000 and that the bombings continue to cause more deaths and injuries in a place where the collapse of the health system does not allow them to be treated.
He also referred to the siege and blockade of humanitarian aid , which punishes the population with hunger and a lack of basic supplies, such as clean water and shelter.
Effect on the West Bank
Lazzarini also stated that in the West Bank, the collapse of UNRWA would deprive at least 50.000 children of education and hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees of medical care.
The Agency is the second largest employer after the Palestinian Authority and accounts for approximately 5-8% of GDP.
“The dismantling of UNRWA will not end the refugee status of the Palestinians ; this status exists independently of the Agency, but it will seriously damage their lives and their future,” he warned.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini addresses the UN General Assembly informal meeting on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Three requests to the Member States
Lazzarini said the entire population of Gaza fears the disappearance of their only vital resource.
“Without the intervention of member states, UNRWA will collapse , plunging millions of Palestinians into chaos ,” he said.
The UNRWA chief then made three demands of UN member states:
- Take action to prevent the implementation of anti-UNRWA legislation. “Changes to the Agency’s mandate are the prerogative of the General Assembly, not of individual Member States”
- Ensure that any plan for a political transition outlines UNRWA's role“The Agency must progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political solution and hand over its services to an empowered Palestinian administration”
- Maintain funding for UNRWA and not withhold or divert funds on the assumption that the Agency can no longer operate. “The cost of providing critical services, including education and health care, during a transition will be immense. I must also warn Member States that the abrupt dismantling of the Agency will cost more than $500 million in staff severance pay alone.”
The future of the Palestinians is a shared responsibility
The UNRWA leader concluded his speech by declaring that the future of Palestinian refugees “is a shared responsibility ,” and emphasizing the importance of the work of the Agency under his charge.
Lazzarini praised the work of UNRWA employees, stressing that they have given much more than we have the right to expect from them in fulfilling their mandate.
“ The staff have worked tirelessly for thirteen months, amid immense hardship and personal loss . Thanks to them, Gaza has survived until now. Today, I call on Member States to act in defense of Palestinian refugees and UNRWA. To do so is to defend the United Nations, which lies at the heart of our multilateral system. It is to defend our collective future, which is now in grave danger,” the Commissioner-General concluded.
UNRWA attack: further evidence of Israeli genocide in Gaza
The open attack against the backbone of support for the Palestinians represented by UNRWA and against all those who try to support Palestine is " further proof of the Israeli genocide in Gaza ," accused the Palestinian ambassador to the UN.
Riyad Mansour stressed to the General Assembly that the Agency is indispensable and irreplaceable and deserves the support of the international community.
The diplomat argued that UNRWA is the best success story of multilateralism and urged that Israel's distortions and lies not be allowed to change that story.
Without UNRWA, cooperation would flourish, says Israel
The Israeli ambassador, for his part, considered UNRWA a failure and accused it of using allocated funds to prolong a cycle of terrorism.
Danny Danon pointed out that the Agency resorts to the misconception that it is the backbone of humanitarian efforts in Gaza to protect its existence, adding that this idea is false.
Without UNRWA, cooperation could flourish; it is time to move forward and build a new path so that the UN can regain its integrity and fulfill its promise to support peace and security, he said.