Palestine [Jerusalem], July 10: A review of the embattled United Nations Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, ordered by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, has identified four possible ways forward for the organization that has lost U.S. funding and been banned by Israel.
The proposals, seen by Reuters, are: inaction that could see the potential collapse of UNRWA; a reduction of services; the creation of an executive board to advise UNRWA; or maintaining UNRWA's rights-based core while transferring services to host governments and the Palestinian Authority.
While Guterres ordered the strategic assessment of UNRWA in April as part of his wider U.N. reform efforts, only the 193-member U.N. General Assembly can change UNRWA's mandate.
UNRWA was established by the General Assembly in 1949 following the war surrounding the founding of Israel. It provides aid, health and education to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
"I believe it is imperative that Member States take action to protect the rights of Palestine refugees, the mandate of UNRWA and regional peace and security," Guterres wrote in a letter dated on Monday and seen by Reuters submitting the UNRWA assessment to the General Assembly.
The review comes after Israel adopted a law in October, which was enacted on January 30, that bans UNRWA's operation on Israeli land - including East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in a move not recognized internationally - and contact with Israeli authorities.
UNRWA is also dealing with a dire financial crisis, facing a $200-million deficit.
The U.S. was UNRWA's biggest donor, but former President Joe Biden paused funding in January 2024 after Israel accused about a dozen UNRWA staff of taking part in the deadly October 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian militants Hamas that triggered the war in Gaza. The funding halt was then extended by the U.S. Congress and President Donald Trump.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
