UNRWA ban endangers Gaza ceasefire, Committee Chair says
28 January 2025
The Chair of the House of Commons International Development Committee has issued a statement today on the banning of the UN’s aid agency for Palestinian refugees.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) delivers critical services including education, healthcare, aid and sewerage to 6 million Palestinian refugees and others in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
In October 2024, Israel’s legislature passed two laws effectively banning the organisation from operating according to its United Nations mandate within Gaza and the West Bank.
Although the first phase of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has now begun, the de facto ban is set to take effect on Thursday 30 January. Among the ceasefire’s conditions are the entry of aid trucks into Gaza. But UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warned last week that the ban could undermine the delivery of aid at a critical moment.
In a report published this month, the International Development Committee warned that, if no replacement was arranged, the ban could cause the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West Bank to “deteriorate rapidly, possibly irreparably,” and would “almost certainly lead to further conflict and increased displacement.”
Chair comment
Sarah Champion, Chair of the International Development Committee, said:
“Let us be clear: this ban will be devastating for Palestinian refugees across the region. Food, water, education, even rubbish collection will all be affected.
“In the strongest possible terms, I urge the UK Government to do everything it can to get all parties round the table and ensure that UNRWA can fulfil its UN-mandated work. The success of the current ceasefire hangs in the balance if not.”
Further information
Image credit: House of Commons