By Beyza Binnur Donmez
GENEVA (AA) — No organization can replace the work of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on the ground, the body said Monday, urging countries to oppose a recent Israeli ban on its operation as the impacts are already being felt.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini is in Geneva for a meeting of the agency's Advisory Commission (AdCom), which aims to address key issues, build consensus, and offer guidance and support in the face of the mounting Israeli pressure on the agency.
Responding to Anadolu's question on the ban, passed by the Israeli parliament in October, Lazzarini said at a news briefing the agency was working on a future contingency plan, actively engaging with a number of non-governmental organizations.
However, contingency planning efforts are primarily focused in Jerusalem, with "what we call, in our jargon, the humanitarian country team, bringing together all the UN agencies and NGO partners," he added.
"The contingency plan is mainly focusing on urgent humanitarian response. They are not talking about who can step in to take over education or primary health because there is a realization within this broader community that no one else can step in in the absence of a functioning state," he said.
UNRWA is also actively engaging on the matter with the US, which it said is "part of our discussion" focused on the impact of the ban.
- 'If there is no UN, responsibility in Gaza to go back to Israel'
Lazzarini emphasized, in the briefing, the critical need for international support to sustain the agency’s operations and prevent further destabilization in the region.
"There is no plan B within the UN family," he stated, underscoring that in the absence of a "UN or international community response, the responsibility will go back to the occupying power, being Israel.
"That’s where we have to ask, where does the plan B sit today?"
He stressed the urgency of "shielding" UNRWA from political pressure, advocating for a clearly defined role in any pathway toward a two-state solution.
Lazzarini also warned that UNRWA staff face increasing job insecurity and fear of harassment or arrest due to the agency being labeled as associated with terrorist activities by some actors.
"We still owe it to Palestinian refugees to exhaust all possible avenues. We will operate until the day we cannot operate anymore," he said, urging member states to act within a "three-month deadline" to prevent the implementation of the ban and its implications.
This ban could end UNRWA's humanitarian operations for Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, where the agency has provided essential services for decades.
Lazzarini also called on the G20 summit, ongoing in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, to prioritize Gaza, stressing that the "man-made" hunger crisis in the besieged enclave would be "easily" reversible via political will.
"Gaza is one of the easiest places to make a difference ... you only need political will to reverse this spread of hunger and looming famine."
- 'Excruciatingly difficult' to bring non-food items to Gaza amid winter
About the onset of winter conditions, Lazzarini told Anadolu that thousands of displaced families in Gaza face worsening conditions as temperatures drop.
"Winter is here, but it's excruciatingly difficult to bring in non-food items or essential equipment for the winter," he said, describing the Israeli blockade's impact on aid deliveries.
The number of aid trucks entering Gaza has plummeted since October, he lamented, underlining the ongoing difficulties accessing the territory.
Anton Leis, director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation and AdCom chair, echoed UNRWA's concerns.
"Winter is a major concern," he said, highlighting the urgency of supporting Gaza's most vulnerable people.
- Geneva AdCom meeting 'most important' in several years
Leis also echoed the urgency of the current situation, calling the AdCom meeting in Geneva "probably the most important meeting in several years."
He also described UNRWA as "irreplaceable and indispensable" for the nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees who depend on it for essential services such as health, education, and social support.
"UNRWA is like no other UN agency. No other UN agency has the mandate of almost a quasi-government providing those services," Leis said, stressing the agency's vital role amid the absence of a political solution to the conflict.
He reaffirmed Spain's commitment to humanitarian efforts in the Palestinian territories, which has contributed a record €23.5 million ($24.8 million) to UNRWA this year to support the agency financially and politically.
He emphasized Spain’s active engagement in promoting peace in the region and its strong support for a two-state solution.
"We see the continuity of UNRWA activities as crucial in that effort," he said, adding that Spain stands ready to provide further assistance.
Israel has continued a devastating offensive on Gaza since an attack last year by Hamas, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
Over 43,900 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and some 103,898 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.