‘Backbone’ of Gaza aid UNRWA must be protected, Türkiye tells UN
A member of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) checks the courtyard of a school after an Israeli airstrike hit the site in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Palestine, Sept. 11, 2024. (AFP Photo)
by Daily Sabah with Agencies
Oct 10, 2024 11:18 am


Türkiye on Wednesday urged the U.N. Security Council to protect the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) against a defamation campaign by Israel.

During a session at the U.N. Security Council on Gaza, Türkiye's permanent U.N. representative Ahmet Yıldız said the agency, with over 70 years of experience supporting Palestinian refugees on the ground, is "simply irreplaceable."

The UNRWA "has been subjected to a politically motivated defamation campaign that has worsened its financial strain," said Yıldız, describing the agency as "the backbone of humanitarian operations in Gaza."

"We must not forget that the UNRWA is not only a vital humanitarian agency but also a stabilizing force in the region," he said.

He warned that attacks on the UNRWA pose serious implications for international peace and security.

"The agency exists because a political solution does not yet. Therefore, it is imperative that the U.N. Security Council acts swiftly to protect the UNRWA amid these unprecedented attacks on all fronts," he said.

He also called on U.N. member states to scale up their contributions to the UNRWA, saying Türkiye donated an additional $2 million (TL 68.44 million) this year.

"UNRWA represents the right of return and dignity for Palestinian refugees. The ultimate target is the Palestine refugees and their refugee status," said Yıldız.

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini separately told the U.N. Security Council that senior Israeli officials are bent on destroying the U.N. body.

An Israeli parliamentary committee approved a pair of bills this week that would ban UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory and end all contact between the government and the U.N. agency.

Israel has alleged that some of UNRWA’s thousands of staff members participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that sparked the war in Gaza, prompting the agency to fire several members.

Lazzarini stressed that the entire humanitarian response in Gaza rests on the UNRWA’s infrastructure and that it "may disintegrate" if the Israeli legislation is adopted.