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Amid war in Gaza, vital that Switzerland upholds its humanitarian values by funding UNRWA aid operations

UNRWA

17 Dec 2023

FROM UNRWA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL PHILIPPE LAZZARINI

AMMAN, 17 December 2023 -- "Switzerland is the guardian of international humanitarian law and the repository of the Geneva Conventions, with a long honorable record in assisting victims of war around the world, without distinction.

"On Monday, the country's lower house of parliament, the National Council, has an opportunity to underscore Switzerland's storied commitment to humanitarianism amid the unprecedented crisis in the Gaza Strip.

"I urge members of the National Council to do the right thing by rejecting attempts to cut funding for UNRWA, just as their counterparts in the upper house, the Council of States, have done.

"Gaza is locked in the most severe humanitarian crisis in its history and UNRWA is a lifeline for the population.

"UNRWA is sheltering almost 1.4 million people in its buildings in Gaza, they have nowhere else to go. These people had sought safety under the flag of the UN - the flag that symbolizes our shared humanitarian values. For a UN Agency that has already lost a record 136 staff in this conflict, it would be a major blow to have the country that leads on humanitarian values abruptly withdraw its support.

"Hunger, thirst, and disease are tightening their grip inexorably, while relentless bombardments claim ever more civilian victims, and aid deliveries fall far short of the spiraling needs.

"Without UNRWA, the humanitarian operation in Gaza will collapse, with consequences that can extend beyond Gaza, into the region and possibly further.

"The result of Monday's National Council vote will send an important signal to other donor countries about the continued relevance of humanitarian values, and the leadership of Switzerland, my country, in promoting them globally."

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.