In a wide-ranging briefing to journalists in Geneva, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini reiterated calls for a ceasefire and addressed misinformation targeting the agency, including claims that assistance is being diverted.
He said helium has besides received reports of UN schools being utilized “for subject purposes”.
Commitment successful crisis
During the briefing, Mr. Lazzarini said helium had received reports that Gaza was nether a communications blackout owed to the deficiency of fuel.
He repeated his earlier informing that UNRWA is moving retired of fuel, thus putting lifesaving enactment to 2.2 cardinal successful Gaza astatine risk. Everything from assistance delivery, to h2o supply, to adjacent accessing currency from ATM machines volition be impacted.
“We volition not beryllium capable to uphold our committedness to supply for the Palestinian radical immoderate longer,” helium said. “I bash judge determination is simply a deliberate effort to strangle our cognition and paralyse the UNRWA operation.”
Exodus from the north
Mr. Lazzarini outlined the full devastation of nearly six weeks of struggle which helium said has sparked the largest displacement of Palestinians since 1948.
Thousands of radical person fled bluish Gaza for the south, arriving “dehydrated, hungry, exhausted and shell-shocked.”
UNRWA schools are present hosting much than 800,000 radical amid dire conditions and deficiency of food, water and capable sanitation. Up to 40 per cent of radical successful shelters are already exhibiting skin illnesses.
UN shelters hit
He besides addressed some of UNRWA’s latest concerns arsenic good as “misunderstandings” or “misinformation”.
Although radical person been evacuating from the north, one-third of each killings person occurred successful the south, helium said. He stressed that “there is obscurity harmless successful Gaza”, including UN compounds.
“Up to 60 of them person been deed since the opening of the conflict. We had much than 60 radical present killed. We had hundreds of radical injured,” helium said.
UNRWA deaths mount
He provided an update connected UNRWA losses, with astatine slightest 103 unit present confirmed killed although the fig could beryllium higher. He described these colleagues arsenic UN civil servants dedicated to serving the community who “had perfectly thing to bash with the conflict per se.”
Mr. Lazzarini besides responded to articles that said UNRWA schools thatch hatred, which he flatly refuted. He said the bureau has “zero tolerance” for hate speech, racism and incitement to discrimination, hostility, oregon violence.
Condemnation and clarifications
“UNRWA rejects claims linking its unit and schools to the abhorrent 7 October attacks successful Israel; attacks that UNRWA has condemned successful the strongest presumption and which I volition ever proceed to condemn,” helium said.
He questioned “the information of those who marque specified claims through large advocacy campaigns, particularly nether these existent circumstances.”
He further emphasized that UNRWA does not let assistance get diverted arsenic the agency directly implements its programmes without intermediaries.
“Whenever we enactment with suppliers, they are systematically checked against authorisation lists,” helium said, adding that the names of each unit are sent to the Israeli authorities each year.
“In reality, we are surely 1 of the astir scrutinized organizations,” helium said.
UN facilities ‘violated’
Mr. Lazzarini reported that UN facilities “have been violated implicit the past six weeks rather regularly”.
In caller days helium has received reports that respective UNRWA schools person been utilized for subject purposes “including a recent discovery of weapons in schools and including the positioning of Israeli forces successful astatine slightest two UN schools.”
Journalists repeatedly asked for clarification.
“I person received oregon heard reports and allegations- again, I'm not in a presumption to corroborate it– that…in the north, wherever we person a crushed subject operation, that reportedly determination mightiness person been weapons recovered successful schools. And reportedly besides we heard done societal media that determination person been besides Israeli subject forces positioning in UN compound,” helium said astatine 1 point.
He stressed that this was a “blatant violation” which besides endangers UNRWA colleagues connected the ground.
“If this information (is) correct, it needs to beryllium pushed backmost and condemned,” helium said.
Sewage successful the streets
Regarding dwindling fuel supply, Mr. Lazzarini recalled that he archetypal sounded the alarm 3 weeks ago. UNRWA was capable to “tap into the remaining substance successful the Gaza Strip” successful the interim, and ever through coordination with Israel.
While the bureau received a “tiny shipment” of substance – fractional a motortruck – connected Wednesday, he said “it was delivered with conditionalities”. The fuel can lone beryllium utilized for trucks collecting goods arriving astatine the Rafah crossing with Egypt, meaning that water desalination plants, sewage pumping systems oregon bakeries volition spell without.
“As from yesterday 70 per cent of the colonisation conscionable successful the south has nary entree anymore to cleanable water, and arsenic of today, we person earthy sewage starting to travel successful the streets,” helium said.
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