Israel’s decision to ban UNRWA, an organization that helps Palestinian refugees, is catastrophic for Gazans living in the middle of the war. This is the assessment of many aid organizations.
Aid operations in Gaza will not succeed without the UN’s UNRWA, says the Country Director of Church Aid for Israel and the Palestinian Territories Sabina Bergholm To .
– UNRWA’s role is irreplaceable in getting humanitarian aid to Gaza. It is practically the only body capable of coordinating the humanitarian operation inside Gaza.
The Gaza communication specialist of Doctors Without Borders says the same Linda Nyholm.
– UNRWA’s activities are the lifeblood of the Palestinians. If UNRWA has to reduce its activities or stop it completely, no one will be able to compensate for the resulting shortfall, Nyholm tells .
Israel has announced that it will implement the UNRWA ban in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem within three months.
With the ban, Israeli authorities would not be allowed to have contact with UNRWA workers. This would significantly complicate the delivery of aid to Gaza and the West Bank.
Even as it is now, far too little aid reaches Gaza compared to the need. Israel has severely restricted the access of aid shipments to Gaza.
“The organization’s services are invaluable”
UNRWA is responsible for how water, food, medicine and other aid needs can be transported to the people living in the middle of the war in Gaza.
In addition to that, the organization also treats chronic diseases, maternal and child health and vaccinations on a daily basis.
The organization Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, also treats patients in several different hospitals in Gaza and provides a wide range of health services to those who have fled their homes. Still, MSF’s work is a drop in the ocean compared to the needs, explains Nyholm, who worked in East Jerusalem.
– We already have to make difficult decisions about what to focus on, because the capacity and supplies are not enough. UNRWA’s services are simply critical.
UNRWA also organizes shelter for those who have fled their homes in Gaza. Because of the Israeli bombardment, 90 percent of the residents of Gaza have had to flee or become homeless. Their situation becomes more difficult with the approaching winter.
If an organization that provides basic health care, shelter, food and water could no longer function, it would also directly affect people’s health. This would further increase the need for treatment in Gaza, says Nyholm.
An emergency plan is probably being prepared
In addition to Gaza, UNRWA is also a key player in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank occupied by Israel. The organization provides many basic services in both areas, such as education and social services.
The Church’s Foreign Aid has focused on supporting education in Gaza, including psychosocial support for children. KUA’s Bergholm reminds that about 90 percent of all schools in Gaza have been completely or partially destroyed in the war.
– If the UNRWA schools are abolished, there will be almost 300,000 children in Gaza without education, he says.
Bergholm estimates that different UN bodies are preparing an emergency plan to replace UNRWA if Israel implements the ban. However, replacing the organization seems almost impossible.
– Joint coordination will seriously weaken if different organizations take responsibility for the delivery of different types of aid.
Bergholm states that banning UNRWA and stopping its activities violates the humanitarian right of civilians to receive aid in the midst of war.
– In the organization field, there is concern about how Israel treats humanitarian actors and organizations. It is worrisome that Israel can ban large actors who follow humanitarian principles, says Bergholm.
“Israel should be pressured to cancel the decision”
Several foreign governments and international organizations have condemned Israel’s decision to ban UNRWA.
Foreign minister Elina Valtonen (Coll.) and the President Alexander Stubb have criticized Israel’s decision.
Sabina Bergholm of Church Abroad hopes that the international community, including Finland, would put more pressure on Israel to reverse its decision.
Linda Nyholm, communications specialist for Doctors Without Borders, says she hopes Israel will not implement its ban.
– The consequences of a ban would be catastrophic. It would not only affect the current situation, but also future generations, says Nyholm.
The reason behind the ban is that Israel accuses UNRWA of collaborating with the terrorist organization Hamas.
Israel claims that hundreds of Hamas members have infiltrated the organization. However, Israel has not provided any evidence to support its claims.
According to Israel, UNRWA personnel participated in the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel a year ago in October. The UN has fired nine UNRWA employees on suspicion of involvement in the terrorist attack based on its internal investigation.
of the Director of UNRWA by Philippe Lazzarin according to Israel’s decision to ban the activities of the organization will further increase the suffering of the Palestinians. The ban costs lives and increases unrest in Gaza and the West Bank, Lazzarini said in an interview with the news agency AP.