War in Gaza: UNRWA has reached a “breaking point”, says its commissioner general
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has reached a “
breaking point
”, its boss Philippe Lazzarini warned on Thursday February 22, in a letter to the President of the UN General Assembly.
Students walk together at a UNRWA-run school inside the Mar Elias Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, February 21, 2024. © Mohamed Azakir/Reuters
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The general advisor of the Palestinian Refugee Agency warned this Thursday that UNRWA had reached “
its breaking point
”, even though an internal investigation and an external audit have just been launched.
“
It is with deep regret that I must inform you today that the Agency has reached a breaking point, with Israel's repeated calls for its dismantling and the freezing of donor funding in the face of urgent humanitarian needs. Gaza without precedent
,” indicated Philippe Lazzarini, in this letter published on X (formerly Twitter).
“
The Agency's ability to fulfill its mandate given by General Assembly Resolution 302 is now under serious threat
,” he added.
For his part, at
the UN
, the secretary general of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) also attacked the United States.
The head of the NGO did not mince his words and said he was “
dismayed
” by
successive American vetoes
“
while civilians are dying
” in
Gaza
.
According to him, this
veto
is a work of undermining humanitarians on the ground, reports our correspondent in New York,
Carrie Nooten
.
An internal investigation has been launched
According to Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA, created in 1949 and which employs more than 30,000 people in the occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, has “
reached its breaking point
”.
She could no longer fulfill her mandates because of the bombings in Gaza.
Its funds are now dry.
Israel's accusations
concerning twelve of its employees active during the October 7 attack have scared off major donors.
If “
until now, no evidence has been shared by Israel with UNRWA
", sixteen countries have suspended their funding, for a total of $450 million, said Philippe Lazzarini, warning that the agency's operations across the region "
will be seriously compromised from March
".
“
I fear that we are on the brink of a monumental catastrophe with serious implications for peace, security and human rights in the region
,” he added.
Lacking evidence in one direction or another, everything remains frozen.
The UN immediately separated itself from the accused employees and an internal investigation was launched.
She hopes to unblock the situation thanks to an external audit led by the former head of French diplomacy Catherine Colonna.
UNRWA, the backbone of humanitarian aid
In this context, the objective of the independent group's " delicate
" mission
is to allow donors to "
regain confidence
", Catherine Colonna indicated at a press conference on Thursday.
The audit is expected to determine by the end of April whether UNRWA's neutrality has been generally corrupted since the start of the conflict.
“
My goal is to deliver a rigorous, evidence-based report that will help UNRWA
fulfill its mandate
,” she insisted, adding that she planned to “
make recommendations
” in the final report.
At the same time, the internal investigation will confirm or not the supposed responsibility of the twelve agency employees singled out.
Top UN officials keep repeating that UNRWA is not replaceable in Gaza, where it is the backbone of
humanitarian aid
.
While “
for decades
”, this mainly humanitarian agency “
filled the void created by the absence of peace or even a peace process
”, Philippe Lazzarini called for “
political support
” from the UN General Assembly to allow the survival of UNRWA and a “
transition towards a long-awaited political solution
”, as well as a reform of its method of financing, based mainly on voluntary contributions.
(
And with
AFP)
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