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±¬ÁÏÍøRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini addresses the League of Arab States in Cairo on 10 September \u00a9\ufe0f 2024 ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA Photo<\/p><\/div>\n
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Mr. Chair,\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Secretary-General of the League of Arab States,\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/strong><\/p>\n The last 11 months of war have been excruciating for the people of Gaza.<\/p>\n Eleven months of re-living old traumas of forced displacement and family separation.<\/p>\n Eleven months of enduring new traumas of extreme hunger and the return of devastating diseases like polio.<\/p>\n Today, Gaza is a place that horrifies even the most seasoned humanitarians.<\/p>\n It is a wasteland, unfit for human life.<\/p>\n And yet, two million people remain trapped there.<\/p>\n Almost the entire population is now concentrated in approximately 10 per cent of this narrow strip of land.<\/p>\n Masses of desperate people live amid rivers of sewage and mountains of garbage, alongside rats, cockroaches, snakes and scorpions.<\/p>\n Every single person is exhausted, sick, and long past the limits of their endurance.<\/p>\n It is utterly inhumane.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/strong><\/p>\n I fear that if this darkness continues, we may become de-sensitized to the suffering of civilians in Gaza and \u00a0start turning our backs to their plight \u2013 the lack of empathy and compassion we heard about before.<\/p>\n And if it becomes tiring to\u00a0hear<\/em>\u00a0about Gaza,\u00a0 how can we comprehend how exhausting it is to\u00a0live<\/em>\u00a0there?<\/p>\n This crisis does not only affect Palestinians in Gaza.<\/p>\n It has implications for all of us.<\/p>\n Arab States were among the first to recognize this reality and act.<\/p>\n One of the most consequential actions has been your extraordinary political and financial support to ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA.<\/p>\n The Agency has received nearly US$ 200 million from Arab partners since the war began.<\/p>\n This has enabled ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA to function as the backbone of the humanitarian operation in Gaza, providing lifesaving assistance to millions, including by supporting an ongoing vaccination campaign to control the spread of polio.<\/p>\n Our efforts and solidarity must continue unabated.<\/p>\n More than 600,000 girls and boys are out of school and living in the rubble.<\/p>\n The region cannot afford to lose an entire generation, which would sow the seeds for more hatred and extremism.<\/p>\n Bringing children back to learning is a matter of urgency that should mobilise us all.<\/p>\n Palestine Refugees across the region are facing exceptional challenges and are counting on a continuation of your exceptional generosity.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/strong><\/p>\n The Agency, ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA, is the target of relentless attacks.<\/p>\n In Gaza, 214 ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA staff have been killed.<\/p>\n More than two-thirds of our buildings have been damaged or destroyed.<\/p>\n In the occupied West Bank \u2013 which is gripped by escalating violence \u2013 ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA\u2019s operational space is shrinking.<\/p>\n Draft legislation in the Israeli Knesset seeks to evict the Agency from its premises of more than 70 years, revoke its privileges and immunities, and designate it as a terrorist organisation.<\/p>\n It is unprecedented and unconscionable that a ±¬ÁÏÍø Member State is attempting to designate a United Nations entity, which has a mandate\u00a0 from the General Assembly, as a terrorist organization.<\/p>\n But it is not only ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA that is under attack.<\/p>\n Across the occupied Palestinian territory, the United Nations and INGO staff are being phased out through the non-renewal of visas.<\/p>\n The campaign to dismantle ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA, and push out the broader humanitarian community, aims to strip Palestinians of their refugee status, and change, unilaterally, the long-established parameters for a political solution.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/strong><\/p>\n I would like to conclude with three appeals.<\/p>\n First<\/strong>, I reiterate my call to Arab States to maintain their solidarity with ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA and provide the necessary financial and political support to the Agency.<\/p>\n Such solidarity is reflected in the\u00a0Statement of Shared Commitments on ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA<\/em>, an initiative spearheaded by Kuwait, Jordan and Slovenia, and signed by 123 Member States, including most Arab League States.<\/p>\n Second<\/strong>, I urge you to safeguard ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA\u2019s role now and in the context of a political transition.<\/p>\n A ceasefire in Gaza is imperative.<\/p>\n The Agency has a critical role to play during the inevitably long and painful transition that will follow.<\/p>\n The Agency\u2019s most striking advantage is in education and primary healthcare.<\/p>\n In the absence of a full-fledged state, only ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA can fulfill the learning and healthcare needs of Palestine Refugees.<\/p>\n Finally<\/strong>, the attempts to shut down and marginalize ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA must be rejected in the strongest political terms.<\/p>\n I appeal for your support in countering efforts to dismantle the Agency, to malign its reputation, and to end its operations in the occupied Palestinian territory.<\/p>\n These efforts are a threat not only to Palestine Refugees, but to the United Nations system, the multilateral order, and the prospects for a political solution.<\/p>\n Today, Palestinians face a more uncertain future than ever before.<\/p>\n We cannot fail in our collective endeavor to ensure a just and peaceful resolution of their plight.<\/p>\n Thank you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 10 September 2024 Statement of Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (±¬ÁÏÍøRWA) at the 162nd Session of the League of Arab States Council at the Ministerial Level Mr. Chair,\u00a0 Secretary-General of the League of Arab States,\u202f\u202f\u00a0 Excellencies, The last 11 months of war have 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