Attacks on UNRWA Not about Its Neutrality, Says UNRWA Chief

Philippe Lazzarini

by Naureen Hossain (the big apple)Wednesday, April 24, 2024Inter Press Service

NEW YORK, Apr 24 (IPS) – The UN Palestinian refugee company welcomed the suggestions made within the report from the impartial investigation led by Catherine Colonna, and warned of latest and persevering with issues that threaten the company’s operations.

Philippe LazzariniUNRWA Commissioner-Normal Philippe Lazzarini spoke to reporters on Tuesday. He was in New York to talk earlier than the Safety Council, which lately convened to debate the standing of UNRWA, the place he warned of the “reluctant disregard” for UN employees and premises within the area for the reason that present outbreak of violence in Gaza on October 7. He famous that over 160 UNRWA buildings have been broken, and 180 UN employees members have been killed throughout this time. The premises which have been vacated at the moment are being utilized by army teams from either side of the battle, together with Hamas and Israeli army forces.

Lazzarini remarked that the assaults on UNRWA – literal and rhetorical – had been motivated not by issues for its neutrality however had been “primarily motivated to strip Palestinians from the area”.

The place UNRWA’s help has taken the best hits there was in help from donors. Since late January, greater than sixteen nations suspended their help to UNRWA within the wake of accusations that a few of its employees members had been concerned within the October 7 assault in Israel. Help had been suspended below the stipulation that whereas the company was below investigation, donors needed to briefly freeze funding. Because the launch of the interim report from the Colonna investigation, Lazzarini said that “various nations” have resumed their help of UNRWA to the extent that the company is funded by means of the month of June.

Lazzarini additionally instructed reporters that his focus now was to bridge the funding hole left by america, which was UNRWA’s largest donor, and among the many first to droop its help. The US is stipulated to freeze its funding to UNRWA till March 2025. Ought to this suspension be long-lasting, Lazzarini warned that it might have a “sustainable affect” on UNRWA funding and operations.

He remarked that “grassroots solidarity by means of digital fundraising” has bolstered help for UNRWA. The company has obtained 50-100 million USD in donations for the reason that present hostilities.

UNRWA employees on the bottom proceed their work below harmful circumstances and even below questions of the company’s neutrality. The continued assaults in opposition to the Palestinians elevate the query of whether or not UNRWA can or ought to preserve neutrality below the circumstances. Lazzarini famous that UNRWA employees and the communities they serve are “deeply anxious of the chance that UNRWA could possibly be dismantled”. “UNRWA has been a lifeline not just for the group, however for his or her households,” Lazzarini mentioned.

Lazzarini’s press briefing additionally adopted the general public launch of the report from the impartial investigation into UNRWA, led by former French international minister Catherine Colonna. The report is the results of a nine-week investigation into the company’s operations and conduct to evaluate its neutrality as a UN entity. In brief, the report makes a number of key suggestions to deal with issues over transparency in communications and accountability, administration reform, employees neutrality, and cooperation with different UN companies, amongst others.

On the subject of the report, Lazzarini mentioned that UNRWA would hold member states repeatedly knowledgeable of their plans to implement the suggestions made within the Colonna report, whereas additionally including that the success of those suggestions would require the total help of donors.

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