Political, economic pressures have reduced services for Palestinian refugees by 20%

UNRWA: Political, economic pressures have reduced services for Palestinian refugees by 20%

Ramallah – Saba:

The Director of Communications at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Jonathan Fowler, said that political and economic pressures have led to a 20% reduction in services provided to Palestinian refugees, amid a worsening financial crisis threatening the agency’s ability to continue performing its duties.

Fowler pointed out in an interview with Anadolu Agency that UNRWA is directly subjected to smear campaigns aimed at undermining its work and tarnishing its image.

He noted that the rules of international law are witnessing a noticeable decline, explaining that violations are no longer met even with attempts at justification as in the past.

He added: “In the past, when international law was violated, there was at least some embarrassment or an attempt to show that the violation did not happen. Today, we face a reality where some openly say: international law does not concern me, and I do not consider myself bound by it.”

Fowler mentioned that the “Israeli” authorities’ seizure and demolition of UNRWA offices in East Jerusalem last January constitutes one of the most prominent examples of these violations.

He affirmed that this measure represents a clear violation, given that UNRWA is a UN agency, meaning that targeting its facilities is targeting UN facilities, in addition to the fact that East Jerusalem is, under international law, occupied land, noting that this step came alongside misleading campaigns seeking to justify what happened.

Last January, Israeli enemy forces raided UNRWA headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem, seized the compound, demolished the buildings inside it, and raised Israeli flags on the main building in the compound, with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and a number of far-right Knesset members attending the area to support the demolition and evacuation of the UNRWA compound.

The UN agency’s Communications Director pointed out that UNRWA faces a severe financial crisis, primarily due to its reliance on voluntary donations, making its funding “vulnerable to political fluctuations.”

He explained that the agency suffers from a cash deficit of about $100 million, which has forced it to reduce its services by 20%, including education, healthcare, and sanitation services.

He said the repercussions of the crisis were not limited to beneficiaries but also extended to agency staff, as salaries of doctors, teachers, and local staff were cut by a similar percentage.

Fowler noted that the Israeli entity issued a law prohibiting UNRWA from operating in areas it considers within its mandate, leading to the agency being prevented from delivering aid to the Gaza Strip.

He added: “Our ability to bring aid into Gaza has been withdrawn, and this is a purely political decision made by the Israeli authorities,” explaining that this decision greatly limits the agency’s ability to respond to growing humanitarian needs in the Strip.

Fowler affirmed that working conditions in the Palestinian territories have become “more dangerous than ever,” pointing out that about 400 UNRWA staff members have been martyred in the Gaza Strip.

He continued: “This is an unprecedented number in the history of the United Nations.”

According to previous statements by Philippe Lazzarini, former Commissioner-General of UNRWA, agency staff were martyred during the Israeli genocide war that began on October 7, 2023.

The UN agency’s Communications Director explained that the crisis facing UNRWA is not only financial but involves several intertwined factors, including attacks on staff, smear campaigns, and decisions by some countries to suspend their funding.

He warned that the continuation of these circumstances might push the agency to make more difficult decisions that could directly affect millions of refugees who depend on its services.

UNRWA, established in 1949, is the main body responsible for providing humanitarian assistance to approximately 5.9 million Palestinian refugees, and its services include food, education, healthcare, and shelter.

The agency’s facilities have been subjected to repeated attacks by the Israeli entity for decades, resulting in the destruction of large quantities of food and medical supplies.

On October 28, the so-called “Israeli Knesset” gave final approval by a large majority to two laws preventing UNRWA from conducting any activities within the territories occupied by the Israeli entity, withdrawing privileges and facilities from it, and prohibiting any official contact with it.

With American and European support, the Israeli enemy army has committed genocide, siege, and starvation crimes in the Gaza Strip for over two consecutive years since October 7, 2023, resulting in the martyrdom of 72,292 Palestinian civilians, the majority of them children and women, and the injury of 172,073 others to date, in an incomplete toll, as thousands of victims remain under the rubble and on the roads, unreachable by ambulance and rescue teams.

The ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip came into effect on October 10 last year, following a two-year continuous Zionist genocide war, yet the Israeli enemy army continues to commit daily violations of the agreement and still prevents the entry of the majority of humanitarian aid into the Strip, especially that provided by UNRWA.