UNRWA Remains an Indispensable Lifeline for Palestinian Refugees

UNRWA Remains an Indispensable Lifeline for Palestinian Refugees

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates reaffirmed that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) remains an indispensable lifeline for Palestinian refugees, underscoring its essential role in providing education, healthcare, social protection and emergency assistance across the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, as well as in refugee camps in neighboring host countries.

The ministry stressed that UNRWA was established under a United Nations mandate and operates in accordance with international law. It reiterated that the agency's work is welcomed by the State of Palestine and called for the continuation of its operations, describing UNRWA as irreplaceable and a key pillar of stability.

The ministry rejected attempts to undermine UNRWA's mandate without addressing the root causes of the Palestinian refugee issue, stressing that humanitarian assistance cannot substitute for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the rights of refugees in accordance with U.N. General Assembly Resolution 194.

It also rejected terminology that seeks to fragment Palestinian geography and identity, reaffirming that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied State of Palestine and that the Palestinian people are one people across the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the diaspora.

The ministry further called on all states, institutions and international organizations to respect UNRWA's mandate, privileges and immunities under international law and to ensure the protection of the agency, its personnel and its facilities until a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian refugee issue is achieved in accordance with international law and relevant U.N. resolutions.