Tánaiste Press Conference with Commissioner General of the UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini

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I want to welcome Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Philippe Lazzarini to Ireland.

UNRWA is working in incredibly difficult circumstances in Gaza - more than 150 of its staff have been killed during the bombardment of the Gaza strip – 150 of your colleagues, Philippe. These are people who were working day and night, in the most desperate of circumstances, to deliver aid and services for the people of Gaza. I want to offer my deepest condolences to the families and colleagues of those who have lost their lives.

The Commissioner General’s visit to Ireland coincides with a difficult moment for UNRWA.

Ireland has been very clear that, like UNRWA, we have a zero tolerance approach to anyone supporting violence and terror. As soon as allegations emerged that 12 UNRWA staff may have been involved in the 7 October attacks, a decision was made to terminate their contracts and an immediate investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services was announced. That investigation must be comprehensive and should be completed as rapidly as possible.

I also want to welcome the UN Secretary-General’s announcement of the appointment of an Independent Review Group, led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, which will assess more broadly how UNRWA is ensuring neutrality and responding to any allegations of serious breaches when they arrive.

The Commissioner General and I are united in condemning the Hamas terrorist attacks of 7 October. We are also clear that the Israeli response in Gaza has been disproportionate, and has resulted in unprecedented and unconscionable suffering.

UNRWA is the backbone of humanitarian efforts in Gaza. It is a lifeline for the 1.9 million people displaced by Israel’s military operations. There is no replacement for UNRWA’s work in Gaza. Those that claim otherwise are simply not telling the truth; and these claims put the lives of desperate people further at risk.

Let’s be clear. UNRWA receives its mandate from the United Nations General Assembly which comprises all UN Member States. That mandate was renewed in December 2022 with 157 votes in favour and only 1 against.

That bears repeating - 157 countries across the world officially mandated UNRWA to provide relief services to 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. One state, and one state only, voted against that mandate. The will of the international community is clear. UNRWA has a vital, lifesaving mandate that must be fulfilled. One country can not and must not be allowed undermine that.

I was deeply concerned that a number of UNRWA’s key donors suspended their funding based on allegations against a very small number of staff that have yet to be proven. Our partners in the EU and elsewhere, including the United States, must urgently rescind this decision and resume funding. Ireland’s support remains steadfast and I am happy today to announce funding of €20 million for UNRWA for its operations in 2024.

The International Court of Justice ordered Israel to ‘enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip’. Instead, Israel has launched a disinformation campaign against UNRWA. Sufficient aid is still not reaching civilians in Gaza. That is unacceptable.

Obviously our focus is the terrible situation in Gaza, but we should remember that UNRWA works in 59 refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. 5.9 million people – Palestinian refugees – are in receipt of UNRWA services.

We have seen rising tensions across all of the region.

If UNRWA ceases its work, millions of Palestinians across the region will be without these services. No schools, no medical clinics, no access to basic welfare, no humanitarian support. At such a dangerous moment, it would be inconceivable to allow UNRWA to collapse.

All responsible actors in the international community must do the right thing, and that means supporting UNRWA and restoring funding to UNRWA.