Doha, Qatar: The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) H E Philippe Lazzarini has emphasised that the continuation of the work of UNRWA, which was originally established temporarily for three years, for 75 years to date is an expression of the failure of the international community to reach a peaceful and sustainable solution to the Palestinian issue.
In a speech delivered during the Doha Forum 2024, on Sunday, Lazzarini said that UNRWA is facing attempts to dismantle it and achieve political goals as a result, which mainly lie in stripping the Palestinians of their refugee status. He indicated that with the disappearance of UNRWA, the Palestinian issue will no longer be on the table, and it will have no political future at that time.
Lazzarini added that UNRWA’s importance stems from the fact that it is the only agency in the United Nations system that has been mandated to provide public services to the most vulnerable and weakest communities, namely the Palestinian refugees. He pointed out that UNRWA, as a humanitarian development organization, has provided education to millions of males and females over the past years, who have subsequently contributed to the prosperity of the entire region.
He pointed out that UNRWA provided vaccines and medicines in public health, and that its primary healthcare services sometimes exceeded the success rates of some areas in Europe and the USA.
