UNITED NATIONS, Mar 06 (APP): The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has stoutly defended UNRWA, the agency which assists Palestinian refugees, amid Israel’s relentless campaign aimed at dismantling it, saying no other entity can substitute this “crucial” organization.
“We salute UNRWA’s role as the critical lifeline for the Palestinian refugees over the past 75 years,” Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram told the UN General Assembly in his capacity as the acting chairman of the OIC Group in New York.
The 193-member Assembly met to hear a briefing on the embattled United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The agency is at a breaking point after the United States and some other Western countries suspended funds following allegations that twelve of its staff members were involved in Hamas’ October 7 operations against Israel.
Making the statement on behalf of OIC, Ambassador Akram deeply regretted their decisions to suspend their funding to UNRWA and called for an immediate reconsideration and reversal of such actions.
“The suspension of funding to UNRWA, a crucial provider of lifesaving aid to millions of refugees, including over 2 million
individuals in Gaza facing imminent threats to their survival, is a matter of serious concern,” the OIC statement said.
“The OIC emphasizes that this suspension of funding ostensibly arising from alleged and unproven acts involving unproven allegations against a handful among of UNRWA’s 30,000 staff members is extreme and inhumane,” the Pakistani envoy said.
“The entire population of 6 million Palestinian refugees, dependent on UNRWA, cannot be collectively punished for the alleged misdeeds of an unverified allegation against the few. These decisions, unless urgently reversed, pose a significant risk of further exacerbating the already unbearable suffering to which Palestinian children, women, and men in Gaza have been subjected.
“No other entity can substitute UNRWA at this time in providing sustenance and life to the devastated people trapped in Gaza,” the OPIC statement added.
Ambassador Akram commended UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini for updating the Assembly on its situation. He extended heartfelt appreciation to UNRWA for its crucial role in providing services and relief to the distressed population of Gaza.
The statement highlighted the recent tragic events in Gaza, where over 100 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more injured in an attack by Israeli occupation forces. Ambassador Akram condemned the attack and highlighted the catastrophic situation faced by the people of Palestine.
Reiterating the OIC’s unwavering commitment to upholding the rights of Palestinian refugees, including their right to return, Ambassador Akram underscored the OIC’s enduring support for UNRWA.
The statement called for “decisive action” to hold Israel accountable for its human rights violations and war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank.
Ambassador Akram demanded an immediate ceasefire and the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance to the besieged people of Gaza, who are facilitated by UNRWA.