Borrell: Stopping funding to UNRWA is dangerous

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has affirmed that stopping funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) would be disproportionate and dangerous and would put the lives of hundreds of thousands of people at risk.

“The allegations directed against UNRWA employees are serious, Agence France-Presse quoted Borrell as saying in an article published on his blog yesterday .

He stressed  that UNRWA plays a vital role in providing life-saving assistance to more than 1.1 million people in Gaza suffering from catastrophic famine and epidemics.

The European official pointed out that the suspended funds currently amount to more than $440 million, or nearly half of the agency’s expected revenues in 2024, which puts its very existence at risk.

Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), confirmed on Sunday  that the UN agency is paying the price for raising its voice in drawing attention to the plight of the people of the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to continuous Israeli aggression for four months.

He noted  that eliminating UNRWA has become one of the goals of the Israeli war.

Rawaa Ghanam