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Following his second Gaza visit, UNRWA Commissioner General renews urgent calls for a long-standing humanitarian ceasefire

UNRWA

23 Nov 2023

From UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini

RAFAH/KHAN YOUNIS (SOUTHERN GAZA), 23 November 2023 -- "I have just returned from my second visit to the Gaza Strip since the war began. I bear witness to the unspeakable suffering of people.

"Since my first visit two weeks ago, the humanitarian situation has already become far worse. Displacement continues. UNRWA now hosts more than 1 million people in its schools and premises across the Gaza Strip.

"As we all anticipate the beginning of the much-awaited pause, I reiterate my call for a long-standing humanitarian ceasefire. People are exhausted and are losing hope in humanity. They need respite, they deserve to sleep without being anxious about whether they will make it through the night. This is the bare minimum anyone should be able to have.

"The pause is also an opportunity to reach people in need including in the north and to start repairing civilian infrastructure.

"UNRWA is committed to continue bringing assistance to people in need. We are ready to receive more than 150 trucks of aid per day without interruption.

"It is time to scrap the bureaucratic hurdles and limits imposed on the humanitarian community so that we expand and speed up the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian assistance to more than 2 million people."

ENDs-

Background Information:

UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency's area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.

UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.

UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.