Civil Organizations: Protecting the Agency's Work and Continuing Its Services is a National and Humanitarian Priority to Defend the Right of Return

SadaNews - The Palestinian Network of Civil Organizations emphasized the importance of the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the need to prevent any reduction in its services in its areas of operation. They rejected ongoing attempts to terminate its services amid the campaigns targeting the agency's existence, the closure of its offices, and the targeting of dozens of its facilities in the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank through destruction and bombardment. They highlighted the importance of protecting what the agency represents in political terms regarding the right of return, deeming it a national and humanitarian priority.

This came during a meeting that included members of the network's coordination committee with the UNRWA director in northern West Bank, Hanan Jaber Abu Taqa, via "Zoom," where the focus was on the importance of continuing the programs and projects provided by the agency in its areas of operation as part of its mission, which remains relevant as long as the issue is alive. They reiterated the priorities of work in light of the ongoing events in the Gaza Strip, the refugee camps in northern West Bank, and the Israeli authorities' forced displacement of over 30,000 people, along with widespread destruction to the infrastructure of the camps and various facilities.

The meeting stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation between the network through its institutions and sectors with UNRWA, focusing on the health, education, and protection sectors. They emphasized the continuation of services despite the challenges faced regarding finances and budget cuts as part of efforts to dry up support sources from the occupying state and other international parties. They called for ensuring its protection and continuing to provide assistance and needs within the available means amid the political pressures it has faced for several years, which have escalated recently, threatening its ability to operate in many areas.

During the meeting, several interventions were made by members of the coordination committee, discussing the steadfast position to mobilize all possible campaigns to support the agency at both regional and international levels on one hand, while ensuring the continuation of its work in the Palestinian camps on the other. The interventions referenced the effects resulting from the aggression and its impact on health services, particularly in northern West Bank, warning that the opening of the upcoming school year might be postponed due to these measures with the approach of the new academic year at the beginning of next month, as some schools house large numbers of displaced individuals who have been forcibly displaced due to the ongoing Israeli aggression in northern West Bank.

Both parties agreed to continue meetings in the coming period and to organize extensive pressure and advocacy campaigns at both local and international levels to prevent the dismantling of the agency. The network stated that it intends to prepare a study through the health sector with relevant parties, including the agency, the Department of Refugee Affairs in the Palestine Liberation Organization, popular committees in the camps, and others. Additionally, they discussed the possibility of organizing a large conference to address the challenges and priorities in the agency's work and the repercussions of targeting it, alongside attempts to terminate its work on political, economic, and social levels while continuing efforts to label its work as "terrorism" after October 7, 2023.