Lazzarini: UNRWA collapse would have dire consequences for international peace and security

He pointed out that the Israeli Knesset’s adoption of two laws regarding UNRWA effectively deprives it of the protection and basic means necessary for its work, after a year of blatant disregard for the lives of its employees, buildings and humanitarian operations in Gaza.
He pointed out that these developments threaten the collapse of UNRWA operations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and severely undermine the entire UN humanitarian operation in Gaza, which depends on UNRWA. The absence of any viable alternative to the Agency will exacerbate the suffering of the Palestinians.
He stressed that dismantling UNRWA would have a catastrophic impact on the international response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, noting that no other entity other than UNRWA would be able to provide education for 660,000 boys, and an entire generation of children would be sacrificed, with long-term risks of marginalization. In the West Bank, refugees would be deprived of access to education and primary health care, exacerbating an already unstable situation.
He said that these attacks would not end the status of Palestinian refugees, as they exist independently of UNRWA's provision of services, but would severely harm their lives and futures.
The Commissioner-General of UNRWA called for support from member states of the United Nations General Assembly, commensurate with the gravity of the situation and the risks, to ensure the agency's ability to fully implement the mandate granted to it by the General Assembly in accordance with Resolution 302 (IV) of 1949.