UNRWA remains indispensable until a political solution is at hand: Commissioner-General

GENEVA: The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), on Monday affirmed that the agency is the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza, noting that it will remain essential for a viable transition from ceasefire to 'day after'. In a statement during the agency's Advisory Commission meeting held in Geneva, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said, 'UNRWA was created 75 years ago as a temporary agency. A stop-gap measure, pending a political answer to the question of Palestine. The Agency exists today because a political solution does not. It exists in lieu of a State that can deliver critical public services.' 'If the international community truly commits to a political solution, UNRWA can resume its intended role supporting a time-bound transition, delivering education, primary healthcare, and social support. It can do so until a Palestinian administration takes over these services, absorbing UNRWA's Palestinian personnel as civil se rvants,' he went on to explain. Lazzarini continued, 'UNRWA has been a driver of human development for Palestine Refugees since its creation. It has upheld the rights to education and health, while providing protection and assistance, in the absence of a full-fledged State. By doing so, the Agency has been a force for stability across the region and a beacon of hope for Palestinians. Today, however, UNRWA is staggering under the weight of relentless attacks. In Gaza, the Agency has paid a terrible price. 193 UNRWA personnel have been killed.' Among Gaza's most vulnerable, children are among the worst affected by the ongoing war, he explained, with more than 625,000 'deeply traumatised' youngsters 'living in the rubble' and without access to education. 'Some 300,000 of them were enrolled in nearly 290 UNRWA schools before the war" but those who are now out of school "are at risk of violence and exploitation, child labour, early marriage, and recruitment by armed groups', the UNRWA chief continued. In his c losing statement, the UNRWA Commissioner-General detailed three requests, saying, "First, I urge you to safeguard UNRWA's critical role both now and within the framework of a transition. The notion that the Agency can be dismantled without triggering the collapse of the humanitarian response in Gaza, and causing chaos in its fields of operation is naïve at best. As members of the Advisory Commission, you know UNRWA's value and the indispensable role it plays in the lives of millions. The Agency must be allowed to continue providing services until a political solution is at hand. "Second, we must scale up and enhance our service delivery to Palestine Refugees. For this, we must cultivate and maintain strong partnerships. These partnerships must build on our respective strengths, and complement UNRWA's mandate, not undermine it. These efforts to meet overwhelming needs must be matched by adequate, predictable and flexible funding from Member States. 'Third, I seek your support as donors and hosts in implement ing the recommendations of the Colonna Report. Upholding neutrality is indispensable for the survival of this Agency and the continuity of its vital work. It is a shared responsibility - the Advisory Commission must play its part if we are to succeed, including by implementing the recommendation directed at the Advisory Commission.' 'The region and the world have changed drastically since we last met. The pressures on the agency today are greater than ever before. If the status quo is maintained, the Agency will crumble and millions of vulnerable children, women and men will pay a heavy price," he said, in conclusion. Source: Emirates News Agency