AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Expatriates
Ayman Safadi emphasized the crucial role of the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in delivering
vital humanitarian aid to over two million Palestinians grappling with dire
circumstances due to Israeli aggression in Gaza.
اضافة اعلان
In a phone call with the
UNRWA’s Commissioner-General,
Philippe Lazzarini, on Sunday, Safadi underscored the imperative for the
international community to sustain its support for UNRWA.
According to a statement, this support is essential for the
Agency to continue its humanitarian mission in Gaza, where people are facing
famine as Israel refuses to allow the entry of crucial humanitarian and
sustainable aid, in clear violation of international humanitarian law and the
International Court of Justice's ruling.
Safadi also emphasized that the agency should not face
collective punishment due to allegations against 12 people out of its 13,000
staff
members in Gaza. He highlighted that UNRWA promptly initiated an
investigation into these allegations.
Both Safadi and Lazzarini urged nations that suspended their
support for UNRWA to reverse their decisions. This is crucial to ensure the
agency's ability to provide indispensable services to over two million
Palestinians in Gaza, who rely on these services for their basic needs.
Moreover,
UNRWA shelters provide refuge for approximately one million out of
1.9 million Palestinians displaced in Gaza since the onset of the aggression.
Lazzarini noted that UNRWA has requested the United Nations
Office of Internal Oversight Services, the highest investigative authority in
the UN, to conduct an independent and transparent investigation into the
alleged involvement of 12 of its employees in the
October 7 events. He
mentioned that these employees have had their contracts terminated. The
investigation aims to establish facts, and external expert review will help
UNRWA enhance its framework to ensure full adherence to humanitarian principles
by all staff members.
Both parties emphasized that any shortfall in funding for
UNRWA, the primary support network in Gaza, would immediately impact the
agency's ability to provide vital humanitarian services. Such a situation would
exacerbate the suffering of Gazans, especially considering that humanitarian
aid reaching them since the aggression's onset has met only 10 percent of their
needs.
Read more National news
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
