The State of Qatar urged the international community and donors to provide adequate financial support and ensure the creation of necessary conditions to enable the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to carry out its tasks, in light of the failure to reach a political solution to end to the ongoing war on civilians in Gaza Strip for five months.

This came in the statement of the State of Qatar made by H.E. Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah, at the UN Office Executive Briefing with Philippe Lazzarini, the UN Under-Secretary-General and UNRWA Commissioner-General.

H.E. the Permanent Representative voiced Qatar's deep concern about information indicating a significant deterioration in the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip due to the war and the collective punishment imposed by the Israeli occupation forces on the Palestinians.

Her Excellency praised the efforts made by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Gaza Strip to help the Palestinians and alleviate the human suffering. She also offered her sincere condolences on the victims of Gaza war from the UNRWA staff while carrying out their duty.

Her Excellency noted that the State of Qatar condemned in the strongest terms the recent Israeli attacks on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, and warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in the city which has become the last refuge for hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the besieged Strip.

She stressed the need to separate between the UNRWA as a UN and international institution with long-standing values and traditions, and the charges made against a number of its employees who are still under investigation; warning against punishing an entire humanitarian agency due to accusations directed at some of its employees, especially in light of the suffering already resulting from the lack of funding over the years.

She added that the UNRWA supports millions of Palestinians in Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria; warning that suspending its funding will negatively affect its work and its ability to respond to the urgent needs of Palestinians in all these areas and will have catastrophic repercussions, as more than 6 million Palestinians will be deprived of relief and humanitarian services.

H.E Qatar's Permanent Representative Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah underlined that responding to the vital humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people must remain a top priority for the international community amidst the worsening suffering of this people from the scourge of occupation, siege, and war, in addition to Israel's obstruction of the entry of aid in a flagrant defiance of the international law and the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice in this regard.

In the face of the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has witnessed unprecedented levels of loss of life, human suffering, displacement, and destruction, the State of Qatar will maintain the spirit of cooperation and flexibility to continue supporting its brothers in Palestine, Her Excellency stressed, noting that Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and UNRWA have signed a multi-year contribution agreement totaling $18 million for 2023-2024 to support Palestine refugees, including the growing needs of those in Gaza Strip.

Her Excellency affirmed that the State of Qatar has made, and continues to exert diplomatic efforts at the highest levels, in coordination with regional and international partners, to achieve priorities such as ending the war, ensuring the delivery of sufficient and continuous humanitarian aid, releasing hostages and prisoners, and avoiding the risks of escalating the conflict in the region.

She noted that the State of Qatar welcomed the interim measures of the International Court of Justice, especially demanding that Israel take all measures to prevent the commission of acts that fall within the scope of Article 2 of the Genocide Convention in its war on Gaza Strip, and considered this a victory for humanity and the rule of international law and justice. Her Excellency added that the issuance of the court order by an overwhelming majority reflects the magnitude of the threat of genocide facing the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which requires ensuring the implementation of interim measures.

H.E. the Permanent Representative reiterated Qatar's firm position on the justice of the Palestinian cause, the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, and the establishment of their independent state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Qatar Urges International Community and Donors to Support UNRWA

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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) February 14, 202

Source & Cover Image: Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar

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Rikhia Basu

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