The Chair of the House of Commons International Development
Committee has issued a statement today on the banning of the UN's
aid agency for Palestinian refugees.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
in the Near East (UNRWA) delivers critical services including
education, healthcare, aid and sewerage to 6 million Palestinian
refugees and others in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and
Jordan.
In October 2024, Israel's legislature passed two laws effectively
banning the organisation from operating according to its United
Nations mandate within Gaza and the West Bank.
Although the first phase of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas
has now begun, the de facto ban is set to begin on Thursday 30
January. Among the ceasefire's conditions are the entry of aid
trucks into Gaza. But UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warned last
week that the ban could undermine the delivery of aid at a
critical moment.
In a report published this month,
the International Development Committee warned that, if no
replacement was arranged, the ban could cause the humanitarian
situation in Gaza and the West Bank to “deteriorate rapidly,
possibly irreparably,” and would “almost certainly lead to
further conflict and increased displacement.”
MP, Chair of the
International Development Committee, said:
“Let us be clear: this ban will be devastating for Palestinian
refugees across the region. Food, water, education, even rubbish
collection will all be affected.
“In the strongest possible terms, I urge the UK Government to do
everything it can to get all parties round the table and ensure
that UNRWA can fulfil its UN-mandated work. The success of the
current ceasefire hangs in the balance if not.”
