Popular committees in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to work to protect the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from plans to liquidate and end its role by canceling or changing its mandate.
The Popular Committees, in solidarity stances in support of UNRWA organized on Tuesday at the invitation of the PLO Refugee Affairs Department before the headquarters of the United Nations Relief Agency, called on the UN member states to vote in favor of the resolution renewing the mandate of UNRWA´s work and blocking the US-Israeli efforts to end its role.
The protests, which coincided with the meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, were attended by masses, representatives of factions and popular committees, national and social figures, dignitaries, mayors and academics.
Participants in the sit-in raised slogans in support of UNRWA condemning the policies of the US administration and the Israeli occupation government to end the work of UNRWA by draining its resources and cancel its mandate as a gateway to settle the refugee issue.
The Popular Committees stressed that the plan to liquidate UNRWA will not pass, and that the camps will remain the spearhead to drop all liquidation projects targeting the refugee issue.
The Committees reminded the international community that UNRWA was established to provide educational, health, relief, protection and development services to Palestine refugees until they return to their homes from which they were displaced in 1948, in accordance with resolution 194.
She stressed that the absence of a political solution to the refugee issue and the disruption of the implementation of resolution 194 obliges UN member states to renew the mandate of their mandate given to resolution 302 until they return to their homes.
The People´s Committees warned against the danger of disrupting or targeting UNRWA´s work, calling on donor countries to fulfill their financial obligations and donating additional funding that would enable UNRWA to overcome its financial crisis and cover its financial deficit to ensure the continuity of its services, calling on countries that have frozen their aid from UNRWA to reverse its decision and resume its support.
She stressed that the overwhelming vote on the renewal of the mandate of UNRWA is the natural response that reflects the international will in the face of the plans of the US administration and the occupation authority to dismantle the international system and organizations and resolutions of the United Nations.
The Palestinian refugees demanded the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers and the international community to support UNRWA in overcoming its financial crisis and the continuity of its services until they return to their homes from which they were displaced in 1948 and to vote in favor of the decision to renew its mandate for three years.
The participants rejected any liquidation projects that would reduce UNRWA´s presence and close its educational, health and social institutions.
