LONDON(RAHNUMA): Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, on Wednesday stressed the need for international political and financial support so that the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees can continue to perform its “indispensable and irreplaceable” role.
He highlighted the crucial work of the agency in delivering essential services to Palestinian refugees, especially in the Gaza Strip, which is in the grip of a humanitarian crisis as a result of Israeli military aggression.
Safadi was speaking at a UNRWA Advisory Commission meeting that included the agency’s commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini, as well as representatives of the commission’s 29 member states, and four observers: Palestine, the EU, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
“No one can take UNRWA’s role to face the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,” Safadi said as he reiterated Jordan’s rejection of Israeli legislation banning the agency, which came into effect early this year, describing it “a blatant violation of international law and a denial of essential rights and vital services recognized by the international community.”
In January, Israeli authorities ordered UNRWA to vacate all of its offices in occupied East Jerusalem and cease its operations there after accusing the agency of employing “military operatives” from Hamas and other armed groups. Despite the ban, UNRWA operations continue in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Safadi warned that the ongoing Israeli actions targeting UNRWA were part of a larger effort by the nation to “liquidate” the refugee issue, which began with the 1948 conflict that resulted in the founding of the State of Israel and a mass exodus of the Palestinians who lived there at the time.
The UNRWA Advisory Commission meets twice a year to address issues relevant to the agency’s mandate, and advises the commissioner general. Member states take turns chairing the commission for a 12-month term, with Brazil currently filling the role.
