EU Against Attempts To Obstruct UNRWA Operations

10/31/2024 7:20:01 PM

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, Oct 31 (KUNA) -- EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell condemned on Thursday "any attempt" to abrogate the 1967 agreement between the Israeli Occupation and UNRWA or obstruct the UN agency's capacity to operate and exercise its mandate.
Responding to the legislation, recently passed by the Knesset (Israeli parliament) to halt the UNRWA operations, Borrell said in a press release that "the implementation of these laws will have far-reaching consequences" for the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem.
It could effectively halt all UNRWA vital services, including health, education and social services, and revoke UNRWA's diplomatic privileges and immunities, he cautioned.
Borrell emphasized the necessity for UNRWA to continue its crucial work in line with its mandate adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1949 and renewed since then.
UNRWA provides essential services to millions of people in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and across the region including Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
Borrell underscored UNRWA's vital role in the humanitarian response to Palestinian refugees in the region, stating that the agency "provides life-saving support to a population facing critical and immense needs."
He also highlighted its essential role in providing education and health services.
He pointed out that the EU is a strong supporter of the United Nations and the multilateral, rules-based international order of which UNRWA is a part. UN agencies uphold both the letter and spirit of the UN Charter and play a crucial role in maintaining global security.
Borrell reaffirmed the EU's commitment to continue supporting UNRWA and to closely monitor the implementation of recommendations from the Independent Review Group report on UNRWA, looking forward to further decisive actions by the UN to ensure neutrality, accountability and to strengthen control and oversight to prevent further incidents.
He stressed that "as long as there is no sustainable solution to the conflict, UNRWA's mandate will remain vital." (end)
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