NEW YORK, Apr 24 (IPS) – The UN Palestinian refugee company welcomed the suggestions made within the report from the unbiased investigation led by Catherine Colonna, and warned of recent and persevering with issues that threaten the company’s operations.
Lazzarini remarked that the assaults on UNRWA – literal and rhetorical – have been motivated not by issues for its neutrality however have been “primarily motivated to strip Palestinians from the area”.
The place UNRWA’s assist has taken the best hits there was in assist from donors. Since late January, greater than sixteen nations suspended their assist to UNRWA within the wake of accusations that a few of its employees members have been concerned within the October 7 assault in Israel. Assist had been suspended underneath the stipulation that whereas the company was underneath investigation, donors needed to briefly freeze funding. For the reason that launch of the interim report from the Colonna investigation, Lazzarini acknowledged that “quite a few nations” have resumed their assist of UNRWA to the extent that the company is funded by way of the month of June.
Lazzarini additionally informed reporters that his focus now was to bridge the funding hole left by the USA, which was UNRWA’s largest donor, and among the many first to droop its assist. The US is stipulated to freeze its funding to UNRWA till March 2025. Ought to this suspension be long-lasting, Lazzarini warned that it could have a “sustainable affect” on UNRWA funding and operations.
He remarked that “grassroots solidarity by way of digital fundraising” has bolstered assist for UNRWA. The company has obtained 50-100 million USD in donations because the present hostilities.
UNRWA employees on the bottom proceed their work underneath harmful circumstances and even underneath questions of the company’s neutrality. The continuing assaults towards the Palestinians elevate the query of whether or not UNRWA can or ought to preserve neutrality underneath the circumstances. Lazzarini famous that UNRWA employees and the communities they serve are “deeply anxious of the likelihood that UNRWA could possibly be dismantled”. “UNRWA has been a lifeline not just for the group, however for his or her households,” Lazzarini stated.
Lazzarini’s press briefing additionally adopted the general public launch of the report from the unbiased investigation into UNRWA, led by former French international minister Catherine Colonna. The report is the results of a nine-week investigation into the company’s operations and conduct to evaluate its neutrality as a UN entity. In brief, the report makes a number of key suggestions to deal with issues over transparency in communications and accountability, administration reform, employees neutrality, and cooperation with different UN businesses, amongst others.
On the subject of the report, Lazzarini stated that UNRWA would preserve member states repeatedly knowledgeable of their plans to implement the suggestions made within the Colonna report, whereas additionally including that the success of those suggestions would require the total assist of donors.
IPS UN Bureau Report
Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
Follow IPS News UN Bureau on Instagram
© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
International Points Information with Newsmaac
