Pakistan has commended the “indispensable” humanitarian services being rendered to the war-ravaged Gazans by UNRWA, the beleaguered UN agency for Palestinian refugees, amid intensive attempts by Israel to dismantle it.
“It is therefore imperative that we prioritize the continuity of UNRWA’s operations to provide life-saving assistance to the people of Gaza,” Pakistani delegate Rabia Ijaz told a pledging conference for the agency, at UN Headquarters in New York on Friday.
Pakistan, she said, was committed to providing relief and support to the Palestinian brothers and sisters, having already dispatched, since Oct. last, over 8 planeloads carrying more than 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The agency has been supporting critical services including education, health and social services to some 5.9 million Palestine refugees, including vulnerable groups such as women, children, and persons with disabilities.
It also administers 58 refugee camps, addressing the dire humanitarian needs of over 1.6 million people across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
The annual pledging conference, held under the auspices of the General Assembly, serves as a vital platform to raise funds for these operations.
UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said at the start of the conference that the agency only had funds to operate through August.
At the end of the conference, he told reporters that, while the total amount in pledges won’t be known until next week, he is confident there will be enough new money in its $850 million annual budget to keep the agency running until the end of September.
In her remarks, Ms Ijaz, a second secretary at Pakistan’s mission to the UN, also called for a comprehensive reconstruction plan for shattered Gaza in accordance with the terms of the relevant UN resolution, promising to partner in the reconstruction of educational institutions, as announced by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, at the High-Level Conference on Gaza held in Amman last month.
Over the past eight months, the Pakistani delegate highlighted that Israel’s “genocidal” military aggression in Gaza had resulted in the tragic loss of over 37,000 Palestinian lives, with more than 84,500 injured, mostly women and children, as also displacing the entire Gaza population of Gaza.
“Pakistan unequivocally condemns these atrocities and stands in full solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters during these challenging times.”
She also honored the memory of the 197 UNRWA staff members who lost their lives in this ongoing conflict.
In conclusion, Ms. Ijaz underscored the need for the urgent implementation of the peace plan for Gaza, as outlined in Security Council Resolution 2735.
