AMMAN: The UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned on Thursday that it faced growing challenges in running its operations as donors were set to contribute less money this year.
Agency chief Philippe Lazzarini told The Associated Press in an interview that he plans to make a new appeal for donors after the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. He said that if “we are constantly struggling financially, we will become an unreliable partner for the host countries, the communities, for the refugees, but also for our 30,000 staff.”
UNRWA was founded in the wake of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 to serve hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were forced from their homes. Today, their numbers have grown to some 5.9 million people, most in the Gaza Strip and Israeli-occupied West Bank, as well as neighboring countries in the Middle East. The agency provides social services, education and jobs to many.
Lazzarini said the massive earthquake that devastated the region in early February, as well as an economic meltdown in Lebanon, has added to the plight of many Palestinian refugees.
Although its epicenter was in neighboring Turkiye, the earthquake caused damage to Palestinian refugee camps in northern Syria in the provinces of Aleppo and Latakia. According to UNRWA, at least 20 Palestinian refugees were killed in the quake.
“I have to say that the population I met has been deeply, deeply traumatized and terrorized by the earthquake,” Lazzarini said about refugee camps in north Syria that he visited in late March during a trip to the war-torn country.
Earlier this year, UNRWA launched an appeal for $1.6 billion, of which about $850 million is for the core budget of the organization and about $750 million for an emergency appeal.
Lazzarini said that the emergency appeal has recently been complemented by an appeal for $16 million for the February earthquake that hit Syria and Turkiye killing more than 50,000 people including over 6,000 in Syria alone.
Lazzarini said the situation in Lebanon, which is witnessing a historic economic crisis, “is extremely, extremely worrying.” Nearly 75 percent of Lebanon’s population now live in poverty as the Lebanese currency has lost more than 95 percent of its value, affecting living conditions of the country’s 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees and tens of thousands of Palestinians.
“What you encounter in the camp is a lot of desperation, a lot of distress,” Lazzarini said of Lebanon’s 12 camps, adding that most of the youth that he met have only one dream which is to leave Lebanon.
Lazzarini said he does not have statistics on how many Palestinians have left Lebanon since the economic crisis began in late 2019 “but we have seen the tragedies over the last year, which also involve Palestinian refugees”
A crowded boat capsized on Sept. 21 off the coast of Tartus, Syria, just over a day after departing Lebanon. At least 94 people were killed, including Palestinians who were seeking better life in Europe.
“Anyone below the age of 30 talks about leaving the country,” Lazzarini said.
UNRWA aims to achieve youth empowerment and wants to give a sense of future prospects to hundreds of thousand of young Palestinians, many of whom are impacted by unemployment and other economic obstacles, Lazzarini said.
Speaking about the strike by UNRWA employees in the occupied West Bank higher salaries that started on March 4, Lazzarini said the move has impacted the work of the agency, with some 40,000 boys and girls being out of school and also “all our health centers are closed.”
He said that sanitation workers also are on strike and the trash and garbage is stockpiling in camps, “which is becoming also a health hazard.”
Lazzarini expressed hopes that the strike will end, saying that going on strike is a legitimate right of the UNRWA staff but that many staff members do not necessarily agree with the strike and are willing to work.
UN Palestinian refugee chief warns over lack of donors
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UN Palestinian refugee chief warns over lack of donors
- Lazzarini said the recent Turkey-Syria earthquake and the economic meltdown in Lebanon has added to the plight of many Palestinian refugees
UN to reduce staff in Gaza and blames Israel for a strike that killed its employee
- An Israeli tank strike hit the UN guesthouse in central Gaza last week, killing one staffer and wounding five others
- UN was cutting back about a third of its approximately 100 international staffers in Gaza
DEIR AL-BALAH: The United Nations said Monday it will “reduce its footprint” in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli tank strike hit one of its compounds last week, killing one staffer and wounding five others.
Israel has denied it was behind the March 19 explosion at the UN guesthouse in central Gaza. In a statement Monday, UN Secretary-General spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said that “based on the information currently available,” the strikes on the site “were caused by an Israeli tank.”
The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
Dujarric said the UN “has made taken the difficult decision to reduce the Organization’s footprint in Gaza, even as humanitarian needs soar.”
He said the world body was cutting back about a third of its approximately 100 international staffers in Gaza. He said the UN “is not leaving Gaza,” pointing out that it still has about 13,000 national staff in Gaza, mainly working for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
The move comes as Israel has cut off all food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza’s around 2 million people for more than three weeks. Last week, it relaunched its military campaign in Gaza, with bombardments that have since killed hundreds of Palestinians, breaking a ceasefire in place since mid-January.
Israel says it is targeting Hamas to force it to accept new terms for the ceasefire and release more hostages.
Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN’s humanitarian office, known as OCHA, said the UN and its partners have already suspended a number of activities, many in education, protection and water and sanitation services. The reason, she was, was safety concerns and the impact of Israeli evacuation orders.
“A lot things are constrained right now because of the security situation,” she told AP before Dujarric’s announcement. “The challenges are massive. We have had a lot of our activities affected by the situation and a lot of our partners have had to suspend operations because it is just not safe.”
Movement of trucks, including those distributing water, have been affected, she said. Only 29 out of 237 temporary learning spaces have resumed their activities since the ceasefire collapse, she said.
The United Nations previously didn’t say who was behind the strike on its compound. The Bulgarian staffer who was killed, Marin Valev Marinov, 51, was a member of the UN Office for Project Services, which carries out infrastructure and development projects around the world.
A strike exploded near the compound, then hit it directly in the days before the deadly strike, UNOPS chief Jorge Moreira da Silva said earlier. He said the agency had contacted the Israeli military after the first strike and confirmed that the military was aware of the facility’s location.
Oman to to take part in London Design Biennale for first time
- Omani architect Haitham Al-Bousafi will showcase a work titled ‘Memory Network’ at the event in June
LONDON: Oman will participate in the London Design Biennale, one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the world, for the first time this year.
Omani architect Haitham Al-Bousafi will showcase a work titled “Memory Network” at event venue Somerset House in central London, overlooking the River Thames, the Oman News Agency reported.
The country is participating at the biennale as part of its efforts to showcase Omani culture and heritage on a global stage as part of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth initiatives, officials said.
Oman’s cultural strategy for 2021-2040 aims to foster innovation and cultural diversity through the promotion of the arts and design as pathways to sustainable development and creative communication, the news agency added.
The 5th London Design Biennale will run from June 5 to 29.
Red Cross says office in Gaza damaged in ‘attack’
- ICRC said in a statement that the incident had a direct impact on the humanitarian organization’s ability to operate
- Israel resumed intensive bombing of Gaza last week
GENEVA: The International Committee of the Red Cross said an ICRC office in the southern Gaza Strip was damaged by an explosive projectile on Monday, adding that no staff were wounded.
The ICRC said in a statement that the incident had a direct impact on the humanitarian organization’s ability to operate.
“Today, an office of the ICRC in Rafah was damaged by an explosive projectile despite being clearly marked and notified to all parties,” the statement said.
“Fortunately, no staff were injured in this incident, but this has a direct impact on the ICRC’s ability to operate. The ICRC strongly decries the attack against its premises.”
The Geneva-based ICRC said international humanitarian law afforded special protection to humanitarian relief and medical personnel, medical facilities, and objects used for humanitarian relief operations.
“They must be respected and protected in all circumstances to ensure the continuity of care. They must never be attacked,” the ICRC said.
“The parties must do their utmost to ensure their safety by providing clear and strict instructions to weapon bearers.”
The ICRC said that on Sunday contact was lost with emergency medical technicians from the Palestine Red Crescent Society and their whereabouts remain unknown.
Furthermore, humanitarian workers in Gaza were killed and injured last week, it added.
Israel’s military pressed ground operations across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, encircling part of Rafah city near the Egyptian border, almost a week into a renewed assault on the Palestinian territory.
Israel resumed intensive bombing of Gaza last week, citing deadlock in indirect negotiations on next steps in the truce with Hamas after its first stage expired this month.
“The escalation of hostilities in Gaza over the past week has had significant humanitarian impacts, with hundreds of civilians killed, some of whom remain buried under rubble while others have been left behind unable to be rescued,” the ICRC said.
“New evacuation orders and intense hostilities are causing people to flee without a clear sense of areas that are safe, and many people have nowhere else to go. Many have been forced to leave behind their tents and belongings.
“The resumption of hostilities and violence is causing a loss of hope on all sides.”
UAE provides $64.5m grant to Palestinian hospital in East Jerusalem
- Omar Abu Zayda, director general of Al-Makassed Hospital, thanks the nation for its ongoing support and says it has consistently stood by the Palestinian people
- The grant will help fund operational expenses, upgrades and staff wages, and enable the World Health Organization to provide essential medicines and other supplies
LONDON: The UAE has awarded a $64.5 million grant to Al-Makassed Hospital, a key medical institution serving Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem.
The support, which will help fund operational expenses, facility upgrades and wages for medical staff, was approved under the directives of the Emirati president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the Emirates News Agency reported.
Omar Abu Zayda, the director general of Al-Makassed Hospital, thanked the UAE for its ongoing support.
“The UAE’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Palestinian healthcare sector allows us to sustain our operations and fulfill our duties efficiently,” he said.
“Since its founding by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, the UAE has consistently stood by the Palestinian people, particularly in Jerusalem.”
The grant is particularly significant because it will help to enhance healthcare services, particularly for women and children, Abu Zayda added.
Al-Makassed Hospital, located on the Mount of Olives, serves more than 66,000 people in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Established in 1968, a few months after Israeli forces occupied the city, it has more than 250 beds and employs about 950 medical and administrative staff. It also operates a specialized residency program for training, from which more than 540 medical specialists have graduated.
Sheikh Theyab bin Mohammed Al-Nahyan, the chairperson of the UAE’s International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council, reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to support for all members of Palestinian society.
Tareq Ahmed Al-Ameri, who chairs the UAE Aid Agency, said authorities in the country continue to collaborate with international organizations to help enhance healthcare services in East Jerusalem and Gaza.
“Al-Makassed Hospital … is a crucial medical facility, specializing in cardiac surgeries, pediatric and orthopedic clinics, medical research, and comprehensive healthcare services,” he added.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, said the Emirati support for the hospital enables the WHO to provide essential medicines and other medical supplies.
It will also enable Al-Makassed to “scale up its medical imaging capacity, improve the obstetrics and gynecology department, and help to train over 100 residents across 11 specialties,” he added.
Palestinian NGO says teen dies in Israeli prison
- One of thousands of Palestinians in Israeli custody, Ahmad was 63rd Palestinian inmate to die in Israeli jail since the Oct. 2023 outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war
RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Prisoners Club advocacy group said Monday that a teenage inmate died in an Israeli jail, decrying a spike in deaths in custody since the start of the Gaza war.
In a statement, the group announced the death of Walid Khaled Abdullah Ahmad, 17, in Meggido prison in northern Israel under unknown circumstances.
Israel’s Prison Service said in a statement that a 17-year-old prisoner had died Sunday at the facility.
“His health condition is covered by medical confidentiality,” the statement said.
One of thousands of Palestinians in Israeli custody, Ahmad was the 63rd Palestinian inmate to die in an Israeli jail since the October 2023 outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Prisoners Club.
The advocacy group said Ahmad, from the town of Silwad near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, was detained on September 30. It was not clear what led to his arrest.
The Prisoners Club said that a “growing number” of detainees have died in Israeli custody due to “systematic abuses” throughout the Gaza war.
“This period has been the deadliest in the history of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement since 1967,” it said, referring to the year Israel seized Palestinian territories including the West Bank in a war.
Rights groups including Israel’s B’Tselem have documented numerous deaths of Palestinians in Israeli prisons during the Gaza war.
B’Tselem has also reported worsening detention conditions for Palestinians, including “systematic mistreatment” and “torture,” which Israeli authorities have denied.
The Prisoners Club said in September there were at least 250 Palestinian minors in Israeli custody.
According to non-government group Defense for Children International Palestine, “each year approximately 500-700 Palestinian children, some as young as 12 years old, are detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military court system. The most common charge is stone-throwing.”
