Residents of Gaza are forced to once again seek new shelters. UN chief calls for support for the Palestinian Relief Agency and its staff UN
The UN faces a serious funding shortfall, and the Palestinians face the loss of everything they need to live, including recognition of their rights. UN chief Antonio Guterres announced this on Friday while speaking at the annual fundraising conference for the UN Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The meeting of the General Assembly Ad Hoc Committee on Voluntary Contributions for UNRWA is being held with the aim of mobilizing additional financial contributions to support the “indispensable” activities of the UN agency.
In his speech, the Secretary-General reiterated his emphasis on , that nothing can justify the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, but nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
Guterres recalled that 194 UNRWA staff were killed during the Gaza conflict – the highest number in UN history. The agency also faces protests and disinformation campaigns, he noted. Some employees, according to the UN chief, were detained by Israeli security forces and subsequently reported ill-treatment and even torture. Moreover, in the occupied West Bank, the presence and movement of UNRWA personnel were restricted by Israeli authorities.
“Yet, despite these and other obstacles, in untold conditions and enduring tragedies, UNRWA staff and employees are doing everything to continue working,” Guterres said. more challenging conditions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, pursuing development and upholding human rights,” he added.
Without Without the necessary support and funding from UNRWA, Palestinian refugees will lose their “lifeline and the last ray of hope for a better future,” the Secretary-General stressed. He also noted that there is currently no alternative to the UN agency.
He thanked those donor countries that have already committed to supporting UNRWA and encouraged all others member states to “protect the agency, its personnel and mandate, including through funding.”
“The time has come to end this terrible war, starting with an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” said the head of the UN.
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