New York: Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini warned that the agency's continued operation is in doubt.
Lazzarini's warning came in a letter published today, as the agency has been facing a severe funding crisis for several months, coinciding with the lack of a permanent successor before his term expires on March 31.
In a letter addressed to the President of the UN General Assembly on March 17, Lazzarini stated that UNRWA may soon be unable to continue its work, warning of far-reaching consequences for Palestinian refugees, given the escalating political and security challenges in the region.
He pointed to a number of challenges facing the agency, including repeated Israeli attacks, such as the destruction of its offices in East Jerusalem last December, as well as the killing of more than 390 of its staff members during the two-year war in the Gaza Strip.
