Talking at a press convention at UN Headquarters in New York, he detailed the implications of the current legal guidelines handed by the Israeli Knesset, which goal to dismantle UNRWA actions throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, together with Gaza and the West Financial institution.
“The intention is to undermine the company,” he stated, emphasizing that these measures are politically motivated.
Because the onset of the warfare in Gaza on 7 October 2023, 243 UNRWA employees members have misplaced their lives. Round 190 buildings and installations have been broken or destroyed, and lifesaving support operations severely restricted.
Disinformation marketing campaign
“Along with that there was [an] intense and aggressive disinformation marketing campaign, [including] reaching out to donor capitals to delegitimize the company,” Mr. Lazzarini stated.
He reiterated that regardless of working in an setting fraught with danger, UNRWA upholds a “zero tolerance” coverage towards breaches of neutrality, emphasizing that the company is a “gentle goal” for anybody which perceives its presence or actions as a menace.
This consists of Hamas, which over a few years has accused the company of “colluding” with Israel, given UNRWA’s programmes on training, gender equality, or arts, tradition and sport. On the similar 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 additionally wished additionally to wash the document on this,” Mr. Lazzarini stated, refuting the allegations and referring to his annual briefing to UN Member States on the Normal Meeting’s fundamental Particular Political and Decolonization Committee.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-Normal of UNRWA, briefs journalists on the UN Headquarters, in New York.
Employees focused
Along with legislative and monetary hurdles, UNRWA employees have confronted intensified safety dangers, he stated, recounting a current incident involving a feminine employees member in northern West Financial institution who was detained, interrogated and compelled to offer entry to delicate info after being accused of working for a “terrorist group.”
Such occasions, he highlighted, displays the heightened dangers for employees in an more and more hostile setting.
UNRWA is irreplaceable
UNRWA is irreplaceable he stated – a place that has been ceaselessly reiterated by the UN Secretary-Normal in current weeks and a number of UN humanitarian businesses on the bottom.
The company had been offering training to lots of of 1000’s of ladies and boys within the Gaza Strip for many years. He stated solely UNRWA might proceed with the mandatory instructional providers as soon as a ceasefire is in place.
Likewise, it steers all crucial public well being providers, offering 1000’s of consultations each day.
If UNRWA ceases to function, Mr. Lazzarini warned, “the one different is that the onus and the accountability goes again to the occupying energy, that means that Israel will probably be accountable to offer these crucial providers.”
Stop UNRWA’s collapse
Mr. Lazzarini reiterated his name on UN Member States to behave to stop the implementation of the newly adopted legal guidelines, and to make sure continued monetary and political backing for UNRWA.
Alongside, it’s important that the query of UNRWA be addressed inside a political framework and that any political pathway resulting in the two-State resolution ought to clearly outline its persevering with position.
In conclusion, he pressured that assaults on UNRWA “are assaults on the United Nations” itself. Israel’s assault defies the Normal Meeting and the Security Council, and undermines the rule-based worldwide order established after World Conflict Two, he added.
Mr. Lazzarini urged the handfuls of nations who help its work to “deploy all political and authorized capital to stop this from occurring.”
Our operation continues
Responding to a query from a journalist, Mr. Lazzarini stated company operations will proceed in Gaza, “however our operational house could be very, very slender.”
“Gaza is likely one of the most harmful locations to function. You’ve additionally been usually briefed on how harrowing the scenario is there,” he stated, describing the dimensions of dying and destruction, immense humanitarian wants and extreme limitations on support.
Answering one other question on how lengthy UNRWA might proceed to function in Gaza, Mr. Lazzarini stated that the “easy and quick reply is we will probably be working till the day we can not function anymore”.
“We are going to ship the providers till we’re pressured to cease the providers,” he stated.
