Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Moscow, SANA- Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini, affirmed that Some countries want to dismantle the UNRWA Agency for political reasons, which could undermine efforts to create a Palestinian state.
“I clearly brought on the attention of the [UN] Member States the fact that we have to push back because the real intention to dismantle the agency is of a political nature, which could in the future undermine effort leading to a political solution and to a true Palestinian state solution,” Lazzarini said in a statement to the Russian TASS agency published Sunday.
Lazzarini also pointed out that Israel’s intention to dismantle UNRWA is finding some resonance abroad, especially at the level of parliamentarians. “You have seen that recently the US Congress decided to prohibit any funding to UNRWA. So that is the kind of traction we are facing. But I know also that this discussion is also sometimes taking place in other parliaments. So, there is some traction among politicians, but it is not necessarily translated into government policy,” the agency chief concluded.
“There will continue to be a lot of political pressure and that is the reason why I keep now asking Member States to help us to shield and protect the agency’s mandate so that we continue to fulfill what’s expected from us until there is a political solution,” he emphasized.
“I do believe that the effort to dismantle UNRWA will continue, but the primary objective of this effort is of a political nature. It’s to try to strip the Palestinians from their refugee status, but it’s not UNRWA perpetuating the refugee problem, it’s the absence of a political solution he explained.
But there is also no organization, which can step in and provide access to primary health or access to education the way we do. Only a functioning government or administration could do that,” he underscored.
UNRWA is much more than just a food distribution, it’s primary health care, it’s education, and these are government like services that no other organization can take over. And the only one who will be able to take over will be the future state of Palestine once we have a political solution,” Lazzarini added.
“Now if we are genuinely committed to a solution, in that case we can reinstate the temporary nature of the agency and we would help any transition leading to the solution. So yes, I really hope we will be able to fulfill our role and our mandate until there is such a solution. To make it possible we will have to struggle to make it happen,” the UNRWA chief added.
Manar Salameh
