Rally in Jordan supports Palestinians, UN agency for Palestinian refugees

By Laith Aljunaidi

AMMAN (AA) – Hundreds of Jordanians participated in a march in the capital Amman on Friday in solidarity with Palestinians and Gaza, and in support of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which is facing a cut in funding by 18 countries.

Israel alleges that 12 UNRWA staffers, out of its total staff of 13,000 in Gaza, were involved in attacks by Hamas on Israeli settlements adjacent to the strip on Oct. 7, 2023. The agency has announced an investigation into these allegations.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, the protest started from the Al-Husseini Mosque in the downtown area and reached Al-Nakhil Square (a kilometer away).

The event was organized by the National Forum for Supporting Resistance under the title “Undermining UNRWA will not pass.”

The participants chanted slogans such as “Palestine, Palestine... your people are free and steadfast,” “Arab, Arab... Palestine is Arab,” “Revenge, revenge... O Saraya and Qassam,” and “We are the people of the mighty... we die and Palestine lives,” among others.

The participants carried banners with messages like “Undermining UNRWA will not pass: No to starvation, no to displacement, and yes to the right to return,” according to the Anadolu correspondent.

Since Jan. 26, UNRWA's funding has been suspended by the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Italy, the UK, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, New Zealand, Iceland, Romania, Estonia, and the European Union, according to the United Nations.

The reliance on UNRWA in Gaza has increased with the displacement of over two million Palestinians, more than 85% of the population, due to a continuing destructive Israeli war since Oct. 7, causing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe with shortages of food, water, and medicine, according to the United Nations.

According to Israeli and American media reports, Israel is looking for an alternative to UNRWA, possibly UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) or the World Food Program, while the United Nations emphasizes that no organization can replace UNRWA.

UNRWA was established by a decision of the United Nations General Assembly in 1949 and was mandated to provide assistance and protection to refugees in its five operational areas: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza until a fair solution to their problem is reached.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala