DRC condemns the banning of UNRWA from operating in Israeli controlled areas

Palestinians in Gaza have endured over a year of killing, maiming, and relentless displacement. There is nowhere safe to sleep, winter is approaching and people are on the brink of starvation.  

Across the Middle East region, Palestinian refugees rely on assistance from UNRWA for critical access to healthcare, income-generating activities, protection, and social support. UNRWA documentation is also vital to the eventual right of return for Palestinian refugees. In Gaza alone, UNRWA assists approximately 1.7 million people, providing education to 650,0000 girls and boys, food distribution, health care, cash assistance for rent and temporary shelter for those who have been displaced. 

“The situation keeps getting worse and worse. Israel is relentlessly targeting civilians, simultaneously bombing them and depriving them of all basic necessities. We are witnessing the height of suffering in Gaza, where people have endured over a year of killing, maiming, and relentless displacement,” says Lilu Thapa, Executive Director Middle East:

"The decision to bar UNRWA from operating undermines essential lifelines for millions of Palestinians who depend on these services for their basic rights and survival. Denying them access to education, healthcare, and protection will only deepen the humanitarian crisis and lead to further instability in the region. There is no alternative to replace UNRWA's role in the response. Current attempts to militarize aid would only make things worse on all accounts. 

This is a deliberate effort to intensify civilian suffering, further obstructing essential aid from reaching those in desperate need. This is a blatant assault on the rights of Palestinians and a fundamental attack on the UN and its principles.”