Dismantling UNRWA to deprive Palestinian children of learning, agency chief warns

By Rasa Evrensel

ISTANBUL (AA) - The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) called Sunday to mobilize efforts to reach an agreement to end the Israeli war on Gaza instead of focusing on banning the UN agency.

"Dismantling UNRWA in the absence of a viable alternative will deprive Palestinian children of learning in the foreseeable future,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini warned in a statement.

“Children and their education are not featured in any discussions when ‘experts’ or politicians talk about replacing UNRWA,” he said.

Lazzarini warned that without learning, children will fall prey to exploitation, including joining armed groups.

“Without learning, this region will remain unstable and volatile. Without UNRWA, the fate of millions of people will hang by the thread.”

Until October 2023, UNRWA provided education to over 300,000 boys and girls in Gaza, constituting half of the school-age population in the territory, according to Lazzarini.

Gaza's children “are now losing a second year of education,” he said.

"UNRWA is the only UN agency that directly provides education in UN schools,” he said, noting that nearly 50,000 children also go to UNRWA schools in the West Bank.

On Monday, the Israeli Knesset (parliament) officially approved, by a majority vote of 92 out of 120, a ban on the activities of UNRWA in the occupied Palestinian territories, a move that was condemned by European and Western countries and international organizations.

Israel has accused UNRWA employees of complicity in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, alleging that the agency’s educational programs “promote terrorism and hatred.”

UNRWA, headquartered in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, denies the accusations and asserts that it remains neutral, solely focusing on supporting refugees.

Despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued a devastating offensive on Gaza since an attack last year by the Palestinian resistance group.

More than 43,300 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 102,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi