UN agencies says UNRWA ban could lead to child deaths
UN agencies said on October 29th that Israel’s decision to ban UN agency UNRWA could result in the deaths of more children, according to the Arab News via Reuters. They also said the decision if implemented represents a form of collective punishment for Gazans.
“If UNRWA is unable to operate, it’ll likely see the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza,” said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, who has worked extensively in Gaza since the war began on 7th October 2023. “So a decision such as this suddenly means that a new way has been found to kill children.”
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“It is indispensable and there is no alternative to it at this point,” said UN humanitarian office spokesperson Jens Laerke. When asked whether the decision represented a form of collective punishment against Gazans, he answered: “I think it is a fair description of what they have decided here, if implemented, that this would add to the acts of collective punishment that we have seen imposed on Gaza.”
International Organization for Migration Director-General Amy Pope said IOM could not replace UNRWA in Gaza but that it could provide more relief to people suffering. “That is a role that we are very, very keen to play, and one that we will be stepping up with the support of various stakeholders,” Pope stated.
UNRWA’s Jerusalem spokesperson Jonathan Fowler called NURWA the backbone of humanitarian work in the Palestinian territories, particularly in Gaza. “UNRWA is irreplaceable, UNRWA is essential. That remains a fact, whatever the legislation that was passed yesterday,” Fowler, who labelled the bill “an outrage,” told AFP in an interview at UNRWA’s compound in east Jerusalem.
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“It is on the international community that if this moves forward, and on the Israeli authorities as members of the international community, to say what the plan B is.” While other UN agencies rely on external partners, UNRWA directly employs teachers and health care staff of its own, with 13,000 staff employed in Gaza.
“The entire UN system and other international players rely on UNRWA’s logistical networks, on UNRWA’s staff to do what is necessary to try to keep the population of Gaza alive. We are the backbone,” said Fowler. “So the question is, who would be the people who would do this stuff?” he added.
It is not just UNRWA that Israel has taken issue with. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz banned UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres from entering the country, as reported by Reuters.
Reuters
