The head of UNRWA assures the UN Security Council that children bear the brunt of the war in the Strip
April 18 (EUROPA PRESS) –
At least eight Palestinians, five of them children, died this Wednesday night after a bombardment by the Israeli Army against a house located on the outskirts of the city of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Among the deceased are two men, aged 68 and 40, a 44-year-old woman and five children whose ages range between three and 15 years old, as reported by the Palestinian newspaper 'Filastín' on its Telegram channel.
Meanwhile, the commissioner of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNWRA), Philippe Lazzarini, has addressed the United Nations Security Council to speak about the delicate situation of the agency and about the “incessant” bombings on the Stripe.
“Six months of incessant bombing and a merciless siege have transformed Gaza beyond recognition. Homes, schools and hospitals have been reduced to rubble, under which lie countless corpses,” said Lazzarini.
Furthermore, he has assured that minors “bear the worst part”, and that more than 17,000 are “abandoned to their fate” after being separated from their families, so they have to “face the horror alone” in the enclave.
Lazzarini has also highlighted that “there are dead, injured and hungry children, deprived of any physical or psychological safety”, and that malnutrition, dehydration and famine “caused by man” are causing the death of babies and children in the north. from Gaza.
In that sense, he has expressed his discontent over Israel's denial of permits to UNRWA to deliver humanitarian aid, an “abuse” that occurs despite orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to increase the flow. of this type of assistance.
“Food and drinking water are waiting on the other side of the border, but UNRWA is denied permission to deliver this aid and save lives,” he added.
THE COMPLICATED SITUATION OF UNRWA IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Following this, he explained the “enormous pressure” to which UNRWA is under due to Israeli attempts to “expel” it from the Occupied Palestinian Territories and due to attacks against its workers, who in some cases have come to share stories about “ill-treatment and torture” during his detention at the hands of Israeli forces.
“Our staff are prohibited from attending coordination meetings between Israel and humanitarian actors. Worse, UNRWA facilities and staff have been targeted since the start of the war. 178 UNRWA staff “More than 160 UNWRA premises, mostly used as shelters, have been damaged or destroyed, killing more than 400 people,” Lazzarini said.
Likewise, it has complained that its facilities have been used for military purposes by both the Israeli Army and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and other Palestinian groups.
Lazzarini has also expressed concern in the West Bank over the recent increase in attacks by Israeli settlers and continued military operations, and where Israel's restrictive measures “reduce” UNRWA's ability to operate.
“This is a time of seismic change in the Middle East. At the heart of this region, UNRWA is a stabilizing force. In Gaza, the agency is the backbone of the humanitarian operation, coordinating and providing vital assistance. Outside Gaza, has defended the human development of Palestine refugees for decades throughout the region,” said the agency's commissioner.
That is why it has urged the Security Council to support UNRWA politically and financially to “safeguard” its humanitarian role, to commit to a political process that leads to peace for Palestinians and Israelis and to recognize “the long experience of pain and loss” on both sides as a way to “cultivate empathy” and “reject dehumanization.”
The Israeli Army launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attacks on October 7, which left 1,200 dead and 240 hostages. Since then, Palestinian authorities have reported the deaths of nearly 33,900 Palestinians, plus another 460 due to the actions of security forces and attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
