NEW YORK — The Commissioner-General of
the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East (
UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, expressed cautious optimism about some donors
intending to resume funding the agency within weeks. He pointed out that UNRWA
had been "threatened with death" following Israeli allegations that
some of its employees participated in the
October 7 attack.
اضافة اعلان
Lazzarini mentioned that an independent
review of UNRWA's activities had been launched under the leadership of former
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who began her mission in
mid-February. The final report is expected to be published next month,
Al-Mamlaka TV reported.
Lazzarini stated, "I am cautiously
optimistic that in the coming weeks, and also after the publication of
Catherine Colonna's report, several donors will return." He added,
"The agency is threatened with death, it is at risk of disintegration."
Colonna earlier announced her plans to visit
Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah, and
Amman in the coming days.
UNRWA, which provides basic assistance
and services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank occupied by
Israel, as well as across the region, has been in crisis since Israel accused
12 of its employees out of the 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the
October 7 attack against Israel, sparking the war. Several countries, including
the United States, suspended funding to the agency following the Israeli
allegations.
After the Israeli allegations surfaced,
UNRWA dismissed some employees, stating that it did so to protect its ability
to provide humanitarian assistance. The United Nations opened an independent
internal investigation. UNRWA said in a report released in February that some
employees who were detained by Israel reported after their release that they
had been pressured by Israeli authorities to confess to participating in the
attack.
Lazzarini emphasized, "What is at
stake is the fate of Palestinians today in Gaza in the short term, who are
experiencing a humanitarian crisis unprecedented." UNRWA manages schools,
clinics, and other social services in Gaza, as well as distributing
humanitarian aid. The United Nations said about 3,000 employees are still
working to provide assistance in the sector, where a quarter of its population,
about 576,000 people, are just a step away from famine.
Lazzarini concluded, "The agency I
currently manage is the only agency that provides public services to
Palestinian refugees." He continued, "We are more like a ministry of
education and primary health care. If we get rid of such an organization, who
will reintegrate a million boys and girls suffering from psychological trauma
in Gaza today into the learning environment?"
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