{"id":289110,"date":"2023-09-06T10:36:15","date_gmt":"2023-09-06T14:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=289110"},"modified":"2023-09-11T10:37:22","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T14:37:22","slug":"statement-unrwa-arableague160","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/statement-unrwa-arableague160\/","title":{"rendered":"Statement of ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA Commissioner-General at the 160th Session of the League of Arab States Council"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Statement<\/a><\/p>\n

Statement of Mr. Philippe Lazzarini The Commissioner-General ±¬ÁÏÍø Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (±¬ÁÏÍøRWA) 160th Session of the League of Arab States Council<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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 <\/p>\n

Mr. Chair,\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr. Secretary-General of the League of Arab States,\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I am grateful for the renewed opportunity to bring the situation of Palestine Refugees to your attention.<\/p>\n

This Council is a crucial forum that I particularly prioritize, given our common interest in seeing their rights upheld.<\/p>\n

Since last I addressed the Council in March, the situation for millions of Palestine Refugees in the region has further deteriorated.<\/p>\n

The Israeli military operation in the Jenin camp and the armed clashes in Ein el Helweh camp are just two of several worrying developments.<\/p>\n

Gaza saw renewed escalations amid an ongoing crippling blockade that deprives Gazans of economic growth or any kind of normality.<\/p>\n

Palestine Refugees in Syria are recovering from the devastating earthquake, without adequate support.<\/p>\n

180,000 Palestine Refugees in Jordan, who fled from Syria or from Gaza in 1967 live in poverty and growing debt.<\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/strong><\/p>\n

For nearly 75 years, ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA has provided public-like services to Palestine Refugees across the region.<\/p>\n

While running schools, health centres and social protection, the Agency has also responded to urgent humanitarian crises by providing food, cash assistance and rehabilitating damaged shelters.<\/p>\n

I am proud of the positive impact ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA has had on the communities across the region.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, though, the Agency might not be able to continue to play its role in the same way for much longer.<\/p>\n

You heard more than once about our financial situation.<\/p>\n

It sometimes sounds like a broken record.<\/p>\n

The reality is that the crisis deepens year after year, while the needs of the refugees increase.<\/p>\n

The gap between resources and the demand for services is now too wide to be contained by internal financial maneuvers.<\/p>\n

The status quo we are locked in today has become our main existential threat.<\/p>\n

If nothing changes, the Agency will reach an inflexion point.<\/p>\n

More than ever, universal human rights such as the right to education or healthcare are at risk.<\/p>\n

I am convinced that no one in this room would like to see ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA having to deprive hundreds of thousands of children to access education or millions of others to access primary health care.<\/p>\n

This is something we should not allow.<\/p>\n

Palestinian Refugees have been failed too many times.<\/p>\n

Their dignity is all that still remains.<\/p>\n

Their right to a dignified life cannot be negotiable.<\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is an alternative path, one that places Palestine Refugees at the center of a renewed discussion about their rights and how to protect them.<\/p>\n

The discussion today needs to be elevated from a financial to a political one, a discussion addressing Palestine refugees\u2019 dignity and wellbeing and through it, the stability of the region and the quest for peace.<\/p>\n

The League of Arab States and its members, especially those who host the refugees are key partners.<\/p>\n

You are also our allies in our efforts to raise funds and ensure that global solidarity with Palestine Refugees remains strong.<\/p>\n

I say this as Palestine Refugees have waited 75 years for a political solution.<\/p>\n

They have always relied on the Arab world for solidarity.<\/p>\n

They have no closer ally, no better partner.<\/p>\n

We are aware of renewed efforts to revive a dialogue in the region that can lead to long term peace.<\/p>\n

I welcome such initiatives and reiterate that a political solution to the longest conflict in the region is the only possible outcome.<\/p>\n

And such an outcome must include a just and lasting solution to the plight of Palestine Refugees.<\/p>\n

And I look forward to engaging more closely with the region on this issue.<\/p>\n

Excellencies<\/strong>,<\/p>\n

Immediate financial support is an essential and urgent priority in the short term.<\/p>\n

As of now, ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA needs between US$ 170-190 million to sustain core services until the end of this year.<\/p>\n

In addition, we need another 75 million dollars to continue our life-saving food pipeline to more than half of the population in Gaza.<\/p>\n

But as we approach 75 years of ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA\u2019s existence, the Palestine Refugees look toward the Arab countries for more than immediate funding to the Agency.<\/p>\n

They want education and employment opportunities.<\/p>\n

They want to be relevant to the regional and global job markets, even if they are sitting in Gaza.<\/p>\n

They want to think beyond their daily struggle and into a more prosperous and stable future.<\/p>\n

±¬ÁÏÍøRWA and Palestine Refugees need Arab States to be at the forefront of a transformation from the current status quo that has run its course to a new direction, a direction where Palestine Refugee have a tangible reason to hope for a long-term solution.<\/p>\n

I urge you to put the issue of Palestine Refugees back to the top of your political agendas.<\/p>\n

This is the only way we can have a sustainable, peaceful, and prosperous Middle East for all.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Statement of Mr. Philippe Lazzarini The Commissioner-General ±¬ÁÏÍø Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (±¬ÁÏÍøRWA) 160th Session of the League of Arab States Council   Mr. Chair,\u00a0 Mr. Secretary-General of the League of Arab States,\u202f\u202f\u00a0 Excellencies,   I am grateful for the renewed opportunity to bring the situation of Palestine Refugees to […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":301,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[1338],"document-source":[1817],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[1945,6650,1741,5200,2613,2153,1745],"entity":[],"document-language":[],"class_list":["post-289110","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-statement","document-source-united-nations-relief-and-works-agency-for-palestine-refugees-in-the-near-east-unrwa","document-subject-assistance","document-subject-funding-needs","document-subject-human-rights-and-international-humanitarian-law","document-subject-humanitarian-relief","document-subject-internally-displaced-persons","document-subject-refugee-camps","document-subject-refugees-and-displaced-persons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/289110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/301"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/289110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":289128,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/289110\/revisions\/289128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=289110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=289110"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=289110"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=289110"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=289110"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=289110"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=289110"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=289110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}