UNRWA chief condemns ‘blatant disregard for international law’ in Gaza

CHICAGO: Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), condemned the “blatant disregard for international law in Gaza” at the UN’s Summit of the Future. He stated that the wars had brought “devastating consequences,” noting that “every day, 10 children are losing one leg or two legs on average.

According to Lazzarini, “two-thirds of our buildings have been damaged or destroyed,” with 222 UNRWA personnel reportedly killed, and “a large number of fatalities among those under our protection from UN organizations.” He added that some pieces of legislation were initiated by Israel to expel UNRWA from East Jerusalem and strip it of its status, which he categorized as a direct challenge to all the humanitarian initiatives.

The human suffering there is on an unimaginable scale, and our ability to respond is severely constrained, he said. Decades of investment in the future of Palestinian refugees are at risk, he added.

Lazzarini criticized the world community for the inconsistency of international law, which confirmed all the negative perceptions regarding inequality and injustice. He was reminded of the violence growing in the West Bank as a weapon that could lead to the spillover of the war into Lebanon and other countries.

UNRWA began its services in 1948 providing education and healthcare to the Palestinian population that became and remained refugees in the Occupied Territories, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.