UNRWA chief: Agency enduring ‘darkest moment’, as Israeli laws threaten operations
The UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, is living through the “darkest moment” of its 75 year history, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Wednesday, pointing to a trifecta of legislative, operational and security challenges.
Speaking at a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York, he detailed the implications of the recent laws passed by the Israeli Knesset, which aim to dismantle UNRWA activities across the occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza and the West Bank.
“The intention is to undermine the agency,” he said, emphasizing that these measures are politically motivated.
Since
the onset of the war in Gaza on 7 October 2023, 243 UNRWA staff members
have lost their lives. Around 190 buildings and installations have been
damaged or destroyed, and lifesaving aid operations severely
restricted.
Disinformation campaign
“In addition to that there has been [an] intense and aggressive disinformation campaign, [including] reaching out to donor capitals to delegitimize the agency,” Mr. Lazzarini said.
He reiterated that despite operating in an environment fraught with risk, UNRWA upholds a “zero tolerance” policy toward breaches of neutrality, emphasizing that the agency is a “soft target” for anyone which perceives its presence or activities as a threat.
This includes Hamas, which over many years has accused the agency of “colluding” with Israel, given UNRWA’s programmes on education, gender equality, or arts, culture and sport. At the same time, Israel has accused UNRWA of colluding with and being infiltrated by Hamas.
“So,
this morning [at the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly] I also
wanted also to clean the record on this,” Mr. Lazzarini said, refuting
the allegations and referring to his annual briefing to UN Member States
at the General Assembly’s main Special Political and Decolonization
Committee.... READ MORE https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1156941
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