The UN agency’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said it was the latest in an ongoing campaign to undermine UNRWA’s credibility in providing aid and services to Palestinian refugees.
According to media reports, a bill to ban UNRWA was introduced in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on Monday, which passed by a vote of 92-10.
Philippe Lazzarini said it is believed that these bills will be implemented within 90 days, which will deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza, where people have been living a hellish life for more than a year.
“This bill is going to increase the suffering of the Palestinians and is nothing less than a collective punishment,” he said.
The UN secretary-general issued a statement in New York late Monday, warning that the implementation of the laws would “make it difficult for UNRWA to continue its critical relief response.”
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that aid is mainly delivered through UNRWA and that if Israel outlawed the organization it would have “disastrous consequences”.
The UN Secretary General said, I will present the matter to the UN General Assembly and inform about the situation in detail.
Currently the entire population of the Gaza Strip is dependent on humanitarian aid, and UNRWA is the “backbone” of the UN’s relief efforts in the war-torn region.
In addition to assisting in the delivery of food and other life-saving supplies, UNRWA also plays an important role in the ongoing polio vaccination campaign there.
UNRWA has no choice
UN leadership, including many countries, have repeatedly reiterated the importance of UNRWA. This includes the UN Secretary-General, who described the organization’s historic and pioneering humanitarian role as “irreplaceable”.
Philippe Lazzarini said ending UNRWA and its services “will not strip Palestinians of their refugee status.”
“Until a just and permanent solution to the plight of the Palestinians is found, this status will be protected under another UN General Assembly resolution,” he said.
“If we fail to prevent these bills from being enacted, our common multilateral system established after World War II will be weakened,” he said.
In December 1949, the UN General Assembly established UNRWA “to provide direct relief and development programs” for Palestinian refugees. The work of the organization started from May 1, 1950.
‘Dangerous and offensive’
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Joyce Masua said the decision was “dangerous and outrageous. UNRWA has no choice.”
Many world leaders, including European Union countries, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a State Department spokesman in Washington, expressed deep concern about the implications of the move by Israeli lawmakers.