At Algeria’s Request, UN Security Council Convenes on UNRWA
The United Nations Security Council is set to meet on Tuesday, at the request of Algeria, to discuss the critical situation facing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the occupied Palestinian territories, which is currently threatened by potential prohibitions from the Zionist entity.
This meeting, during which Algeria will speak in its national capacity, is scheduled for 10:00 AM local time (4:00 PM Algerian time). It marks the second gathering this month focused on UNRWA, where member states are expected to deliberate on two imminent legislative measures proposed by the Zionist parliament that aim to terminate the agency’s operations in occupied Palestine.
During Tuesday’s session, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), are anticipated to address the assembly.
Algeria, which is presiding over the Security Council this month, previously called for a closed consultation meeting on January 17 regarding UNRWA’s situation, during which Lazzarini provided a briefing. He warned that “the Full implementation will be catastrophic. In Gaza, it will massively weaken the international humanitarian response. This will immeasurably worsen already catastrophic living conditions.”
Furthermore, in a press conference held the same day at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the head of UNRWA emphasized that dismantling the agency would lead to the “collapse of the social system.” He also cautioned that the “chaotic dismantling” of UNRWA would “irreversibly harm the lives and future of Palestinians. It will obliterate their trust in the international community and any solution it attempts to facilitate.”
In a recent warning, the UNRWA Commissioner-General expressed concerns about a potential ban by the Zionist entity on the agency’s activities in the Palestinian territories, noting that such a measure “could sabotage the ceasefire” that came into effect on January 19 after more than 15 months of violent aggression, resulting in over 47,000 casualties, the majority of whom were women and children.
Lazzarini stated, “Preventing UNRWA from operating could jeopardize the ceasefire in Gaza, once again thwarting the hopes of those who have endured unimaginable suffering.” He highlighted that “during the first three days of the ceasefire, UNRWA was able to provide food to one million people. Our teams have already distributed food to approximately 300,000 individuals, especially in northern Gaza,” stressing that “the work of UNRWA must continue in Gaza and throughout all occupied Palestinian territories.”
