Gaza - New York: Europe and the Arabs
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that the recently established so-called "aid mechanism" is "an abhorrent act that humiliates and degrades desperate people. It is a death trap that leads to more lives lost than saved," adding that it represents "the culmination of 20 months of terror, inaction, and impunity," according to the UN Daily News, which added: "This came during a speech he delivered at the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which opened yesterday, Saturday, in the Turkish city of Istanbul. Mr. Lazzarini said that two million people are facing starvation in Gaza, where "food is being weaponized and Palestinians are being dehumanized, without any consequences."
He noted that more than 55,000 people have been killed—mostly women and children—while those who remain alive are "mere shadows of their former selves; Their lives have been forever changed by unspeakable trauma and devastating losses.”
Meanwhile, he warned that Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have been displaced from their camps in the north at levels unseen since 1967, and that public infrastructure is being systematically destroyed “so that Palestinians cannot return, permanently altering the demographic composition of the camps, as Israeli annexation advances steadily.”
Mr. Lazzarini said: “Throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, we are witnessing the implementation of a long-term project to undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and separate Palestinians from Palestine.” The desire to strip Palestinians of their refugee status and sever their connection to the occupied territory is so strong that UNRWA has become a target of war.
UNRWA's work continues despite intimidation.
At least 318 UNRWA staff have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, many with their families. With Israeli legislation coming into effect in January, the agency's international staff have effectively been expelled from the occupied Palestinian territory, the Commissioner-General said. He noted that the agency's brave Palestinian staff continue to serve Palestinian refugees, "despite arrests, intimidation, and harassment."
However, he emphasized that UNRWA's financial situation is extremely critical, adding that without additional funding, he will soon be forced to make unprecedented decisions that will impact the agency's operations across the region.
He said, "UNRWA is a tremendous asset if what we seek is a just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine and its people." A genuine, time-bound political process would ultimately allow the Agency to transform its government-like services into empowered public institutions equipped to serve Palestinians. Absent an orderly transition, the sudden loss or reduction of UNRWA services will only deepen the suffering and despair throughout the occupied Palestinian territory and could spark unrest in neighboring countries. This is something the region cannot afford, especially at this time.
He appealed to the OIC and its member states to throw their full political and financial weight behind “efforts to ensure that Palestinian refugees receive protection and essential services,” and to act now “before it is too late for millions of people whose lives and futures lie in your hands.”