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Statement from the Chair of the Advisory Commission on UNRWA (Spain), 27 October 2024

UNRWA

27 Oct 2024

Chaired by Spain, the Advisory Commission held an extraordinary meeting on 24 October 2024 in the context of the draft bills on UNRWA introduced in the Knesset.

During the meeting, members shared their deep concerns about the serious consequences for UNRWA and its work should these bills be finally approved.

If adopted, the bills would make it impossible for UNRWA to implement its mandate according to UN General Assembly Resolution 302(IV) (1949) and would effectively prevent the operations of the Agency in the occupied Palestinian territory.

For 75 years, UNRWA has operated in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza and the wider region providing key services and protection to Palestine refugees and contributing to regional stability.

At present, in the absence of a political solution to the Palestinian-Israel conflict, UNRWA remains an irreplaceable lifeline to millions of Palestine refugees, many of them children, women and youth.

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.