Philippe Lazzarini says closure would have ‘devastating consequences’ and calls for investigation into deadly strike
A campaign is under way to drive the UN relief agency for Palestinians, Unrwa, out of existence, its commissioner general has said, days afterPhilippe Lazzarini said in an interview that the Israeli government was seeking to close down the agency, having failed to persuade western donors to stop funding it on the grounds of“This deliberate attempt to eliminate Unrwa and prevent it from operating would have devastating consequences for the multilateral system, the UN and the cause of a...
“We should make absolutely no mistake that this is more than an attack on Unrwa, but on the broader multilateral system and on the UN. This is a campaign to dismantle Unrwa and push out the broader humanitarian community.”Lazzarini pointed out three pieces of legislation going through the Israeli parliament: one to label Unrwa as a terrorist organisation, another to remove all immunities from Unrwa staff and a third to deny Unrwa access to buildings under Israel’s control.
Lazzarini said it had become banal to assert that international law had been ignored in Gaza, but after meeting Arab leaders in Cairo this week he said “it is hard to estimate how much they feel western double standards are being applied”. He said every country that had suspended Unrwa funding, save for the US, had now restored it, leaving a shortfall of $450,000 .
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