Qatar Reaffirms Unwavering, Full Support for UNRWA

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Tuesday, June 25th, 2024

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Geneva, June 25 (QNA) – The State of Qatar has reiterated its commitment to continuing its full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), stemming from its steadfast and supportive stance of the legitimate rights of the fraternal Palestinian people, foremost among them their right to establish the independent State on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. And lauded the unwavering efforts of all UNRWA staffers that spanned over 75 years, in pursuit of protecting and helping the Palestinian people.

This came in the statement delivered by HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah during the regular meeting of the UNRWA Advisory Commission (AdCom), within the framework of the 56th session of the Human Rights Council.

Her Excellency affirmed that since its establishment in 1949, as an organization with humanitarian and development mandate to provide assistance and protection to the Palestinian refugees, pending accomplishment of just and enduring solution for their plight, UNRWA has been coming under numerous and gratuitous attacks and polemics that primarily aim to undermine the agency and end its operations in the pursuit of liquidating the issue of the Palestinian rights and their right to return back to their regions and homes under international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, particularly the resolutions of the UN General Assembly 194 and 237.

HE Dr. Al Muftah pointed out that the temptations of targeting UNRWA and limiting its abilities of undertaking its mandate and functions in the Gaza Strip are unprecedented, given the ongoing war being launched by the Israeli occupation army since Oct. 7, 2023. She stressed that these temptations come under flimsy justifications.

Her Excellency highlighted that the number of Palestinian casualties in the Gaza enclave surpassed 120,000 people, with the number of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) reaching over 2 million, due to the genocidal crimes, policies of starvation and forced displacement being practiced by Israel as the de facto occupier, along with the intentional targeting of civilians, humanitarian aid workers and civic facilities, primarily the hospitals, as well as UNRWA’s schools and facilities that harbor tens of thousands of IDPs, mostly women and children, in addition to killing 193 of UNRWA’s personnel, with many of them being exposed to threats, arrest and torture.

HE Dr. Al Muftah underlined that the State of Qatar underscores the importance of discriminating between UNRWA as a UN agency with deep-rooted values and traditions and the claims that targeted many of its staffers who are being interrogated, denouncing the practices of punishing an entire humanitarian agency due to accusations against some of its staffers.

Her Excellency pointed out that the State of Qatar welcomes the contents of the Independent Review Group assigned by the United Nations, vindicating UNRWA following the allegations that targeted its operations in the Gaza enclave. She reiterated that the need for maintaining UNRWA to continue to discharge its functions, as a core pillar for regional stability, is still in place, stressing that originally the UNRWA was not an option, but rather operating due to the international community’s failure to end the Israeli occupation and find a just, durable and comprehensive solution for the Palestinian question and Palestinian refugees, in accordance with the international legitimacys resolutions.

HE Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah emphasized the importance of constantly providing support to UNRWA, affirming that the State of Qatar welcomes the declaration of some donors to resume their support for UNRWA, adding that the State of Qatar has called on all states and donors to resume their support and funding for UNRWA. And stressed the importance of establishing a mechanism to ensure sufficient and continuous support, such as direct funding of UNRWA from the United Nations budget so as to enable UNRWA to carry out its noble humanitarian mission in providing assistance and protection to roughly 6 million Palestinian refugees.