New York, Sept. 26 (Petra)-- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs Ayman Safadi, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares, and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira chaired a ministerial meeting to mobilize support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

The meeting, organized by Jordan, Brazil, and Spain yesterday, was held with the participation of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock, on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

In his speech at the meeting, Safadi said: "There is no need for me to make a case in defense of UNRWA. The hungry children of Gaza make that case with their suffering. The mothers watching their children wither before their eyes make that case. The over 600,000 students in Gaza who have not attended school in two years make that case." He added: "Hundreds of thousands who rely on UNRWA for a modest livelihood and the basic support that keeps them alive make that case. The Palestinians in the occupied West Bank make that case. The children who have been deprived of hope make it. And tens of thousands of Palestinian children who built their future through UNRWA schools, who became doctors, lawyers, and skilled workers thanks to the support UNRWA provided, also make that case." Safadi stressed that it is unacceptable that we are discussing how to save UNRWA while it is collapsing.

He pointed out that UNRWA has been under political assassination attempts even before October 7, "because it represents the rights of Palestinian refugees, and because it represents their hope." He noted that UNRWA will not be able to continue its operations unless it secures the necessary funding by the end of this month to feed Palestinian children and rebuild destroyed schools.

Safadi said: "The catastrophe in Gaza continues. The genocide continues. The number of Palestinian children dying every day is rising not just from occupation bullets, but because they cannot find anything to eat. This is a reality we must change." He added: "At some point, the guns will fall silent. It is unconscionable for a UN member state to continue violating international law, the UN Charter, and our shared human values by committing massacres against civilians while the world stands by helplessly. One day, the world will move, and it will say 'enough.' It will stop the war, the violations, the killing of children, women, and men. And when that day comes, we will need UNRWA." Safadi affirmed that no one can replace the role UNRWA plays in Gaza, saying: "It was there when others were absent. It knows every alley, every street, every home, every school, every clinic, and every family that needs help. We need UNRWA." He emphasized that everyone voted for UNRWA’s mandate to continue, and called for political support to be translated into practical steps that enable UNRWA to carry on its noble mission.

Safadi stated: "Let us bridge the financial gap UNRWA is suffering from so that it can fulfill its duty. Let us speak with one clear voice: We must protect UNRWA, because by protecting it, we protect the remaining credibility of our multilateral system and our commitment to international and humanitarian law." He concluded: "UNRWA has made the ultimate sacrifice. Hundreds of its employees have been killed. Yet it continues, burying the dead and then returning to deliver a loaf of bread to the hungry and medicine to the suffering. That is UNRWA." For his part, the Spanish Foreign Minister reaffirmed Spain’s hope to renew UNRWA’s mandate, emphasizing the need to provide sufficient funding to allow it to continue its work.

He said: "I urge all those who believe in a two-state solution and a peaceful future between Israel and Palestine to increase funding to both UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority, in order to provide a secure future for the Palestinian people." The Brazilian Foreign Minister emphasized the need for collective action to ensure regular and sufficient funding, so that UNRWA can plan and deliver services without the constant threat of collapse.

He reiterated Brazil’s support for the renewal of UNRWA’s mandate, noting that the situation of Palestinian refugees is a deeply political and legal issue rooted in decades of conflict and occupation.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that UNRWA is essential for any prospects of peace and stability in the region, and urged all to support its work and provide urgent and full funding to ensure its continuity.

President of the UN General Assembly emphasized the importance of working toward a two-state solution and continuing support for UNRWA.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini noted that despite all challenges, UNRWA continues to stand by Palestinians, providing humanitarian assistance and witnessing countless violations and humiliations.

At a press conference with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini following the meeting, Safadi stated: "Long before the genocide in Gaza began, before Israel destroyed Gaza’s schools, before Israel buried Gaza’s children under the rubble of their homes, before Israel closed schools to over 600,000 children UNRWA was there, providing education and support." He added: "UNRWA’s work is evident in the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian youth who were able to complete their education, find jobs, and build lives despite the oppression of the occupation. UNRWA must remain there." Safadi continued: "Gaza has become a barren land, home to 2.3 million displaced people. More countries are realizing that this aggression cannot continue, that this massacre must stop, that the Palestinian people must live, that Palestinian children must go to school, and that mothers should not have to watch their children die because they cannot give them milk. Israel continues its brutal aggression on Gaza, blocks aid, and prevents the entry of food, bread, and water." He said: "This war must end. And when it does, we will need UNRWA because it knows Gaza better than anyone else. It has been there for Gazans through years of siege and long before the war. It knows how to rebuild Gaza, its schools, its hospitals, and how to reach those who trust it. That is why we must save UNRWA and protect it." Safadi pointed to the targeting of UNRWA both before and during the Gaza war, stating that the agency was attacked long before October 7, 2023, and that more than 340 UNRWA staff were killed in this massacre, yet it continues its work.

He stressed the need to support UNRWA in its indispensable UN-mandated role, saying: "It is essential that we all agree, work together, support UNRWA politically, salute the sacrifices it makes, and fund it so that it can restore life and hope to Gaza." Safadi concluded: "UNRWA was born out of the suffering of the Palestinian people. It must remain until their misery ends by fulfilling their legitimate, inalienable rights to freedom, statehood, dignity, and life. Palestinian children simply need to live not worry about being killed when they go to school, if they even have a school to go to. That is why we must support UNRWA, stand by it, and continue organizing such conferences on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to urge all our partners to support, fund, and ensure it has the resources it needs to carry out its work." //Petra// MF