The head of the main UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, issued a stark warning on Monday that it "will crumble" unless funding is found quickly, with an "entire generation" of children at risk of being condemned to "poverty…hatred, resentment and future conflict".
In a plea for political and financial support from Member States, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini underscored that the agency was "staggering under the weight of relentless attacks in Gaza", after nearly nine months of intense Israeli bombardment and ground operations.
"The pressures on the agency today are greater than ever before," he insisted.
In addition to the 193 UNRWA personnel killed since Hamas-led terror attacks and hostage taking sparked the war, Mr. Lazzarini detailed the sheer scale of the destruction to UN premises.
More than 180 installations have been damaged or destroyed since 7 October and "at least 500 people" have been killed seeking protection under the UN flag, he explained.
"Our premises have been used for military purposes by Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups," the UNRWA chief told a meeting of the Advisory Commission in Geneva. "Our convoys have come under attack despite coordinated movement with Israeli authorities in the West Bank…operational space is shrinking."
More to come…
