Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf reaffirmed Algeria’s “strong and sincere” commitment to supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) during a meeting in New York on Thursday. He underscored the necessity for the agency to remain operational as long as Palestinian refugees are denied their inalienable right to return to their homeland.
In his address at the ministerial meeting of key partners supporting UNRWA, Attaf stated, “UNRWA deserves stronger political backing and increased financial aid from the international community.”
He reiterated Algeria’s unwavering support for UNRWA, recalling the $15 million financial contribution allocated to the agency’s budget last April. Attaf emphasized Algeria’s “strong and sincere” commitment to continuing this support, highlighting the significance of UNRWA and what it represents for the Palestinian people, particularly for the refugees.
Attaf explained that “the vital, foundational, and lifesaving role played by UNRWA is fundamentally linked to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194. Therefore, it should continue to exist as long as Palestinian refugees are deprived of their inalienable right to return home.”
The minister condemned the repeated attempts to discredit UNRWA and terminate its mandate, which aim to “erase a central component of the Palestinian cause, namely the refugee issue.” He characterized such actions as “regrettable, condemnable, and unacceptable.”
Additionally, Attaf took the opportunity to extend his “deepest and sincerest condolences” to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini over the “tragic loss of 220 agency staff amid the ongoing genocide perpetrated by the Israeli occupying forces in Gaza.”
