Action For Humanity condemns Israeli ban of UNRWA

 

29 October 2024

Israel’s catastrophic decision to ban UNRWA is a deliberate act of aggression against the millions of refugees that rely on it for relief every single day. The ban places the lives of 5.9 million people at risk, and has the potential to send the region spiralling even further than it already has. It is a direct undermining of humanitarian aid, and will stoke distrust in our work on a global scale. 

For an entire year, Israel has relentlessly bombarded Gaza, shattering lives and endangering millions of Palestinians in the West Bank. This assault is marked by the targeting of hundreds of aid workers while providing essential support. Now, by stripping UNRWA of its ability to operate, Israel is attacking the very lifeblood of humanitarian aid.

UNRWA currently supports 5.9 million Palestinian refugees across 58 recognized camps, providing education for 543,000 children and healthcare for 1.9 million people. These laws will prevent UNRWA from obtaining essential visas and ID cards for its staff. They will force the closure of offices, halt banking operations, and stifle the movement of UNRWA officials throughout the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. It is a concerted effort to dismantle the very framework of humanitarian assistance.

The consequences of this assault will reverberate far beyond Gaza. The instability and insecurity created by this ban will spill over into Lebanon and the West Bank, leaving hundreds of thousands without food, healthcare, or education. The humanitarian systems that rely on UNRWA are on the brink of collapse, and the removal of the largest source of humanitarian aid from the region could lead to widespread starvation and disease. We are on the brink of a tragedy that could cost the world an entire generation of Palestinians.

This action undermines the United Nations’ efforts to maintain peace and security. It places humanitarian organisations in peril and puts aid workers at enormous risk. This is not merely a political issue; it is a moral failing. The world must not stand idly by as this catastrophe unfolds.

There is no viable alternative to UNRWA; without it, the quality of life in Gaza will deteriorate to mediaeval levels.