Publication
Omar Shaban Ismail · PalThink for Strategic Studies · 2024
Omar Shaban argues that suspending UNRWA funding during the Gaza war is collective punishment that undermines education, health, and stability for millions of Palestinian refugees — and warns that closing UNRWA would leave a vacuum for extremism.
Omar Shaban argues that suspending UNRWA funding during the Gaza war is collective punishment that undermines education, health, and stability for millions…
Cutting Aid to UNRWA is an act against stability and modernity
Omar Shaban
UNRWA has been the largest UN agency for humanitarian and developmental services for Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Syria , Lebanon and Jordan. Its services have benefited millions of Palestinians over the past years. Resources said that roughly 87% of people in Gaza are dependent on the services provided by UNRWA.
It supports over six million Palestinian refugees outside and within Palestine. Moreover, it plays a key role in aiding, protecting, and developing the lives and wellbeing of the Palestinian people. Over the years, UNRWA has established preparatory and elementary school for Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In Gaza alone, there are 284 UNRWA schools where half of Gaza’s children study, which is a significant service for educating Palestinians and offering them educational opportunities.
In addition, UNRWA has hired over 15,000 employees in its institutions in the Gaza Strip, who have become economically empowered and capable of providing to their families. UNRWA has a mandate of ensuring that Palestine refugee students develop their full potential and become confident, innovative, questioning, thoughtful, and open-minded to uphold human values and tolerance.
Myself, I studied all my whole school years at UNRWA schools. Studying at UNRWA schools encouraged my critical thinking, analytical thinking, thoughtfulness, creativity, and non-ideological thinking. These skills were not present in the government schools by then.
UNRWA schools were almost the only schools that teach music, art, and creativity in the Gaza Strip.
The health sector in Gaza has been deteriorating, facing financial crises, lack of medical equipment and medical centers. However, the UNRWA institutions have provided medical and life-saving services to Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip. Across the Gaza Strip, there are 22 primary health care (PHC) centers, and the registered population accessing UNRWA health services have been 1,224,383 . According to UNRWA. As well, these centers offer family planning centers, psychological support services, and dental services.
Cutting UNRWA Funds:
UNRWA-Palestine has recently faced a huge campaign by the US and some of the EU countries in cutting its funds. The suspension of the UNRWA services and funds during the war on Gaza makes the matter more dangerous and complicated. Shutting down funds is a collective punishment for the UNRWA and millions of Palestinian refugees benefiting from UNRWA. The allegations that 13 employees out of 13,000 were involved in the 7th October’s attack are still under investigation. Also, the allegation was only made by Israel, which is a non-neutral party at this point. There is no single organization; especially the big ones such as UNRWA can control the beliefs nor the acts of all its employees. Thus, harrying to cut the aid to UNRWA on the bases of allegations to 13 employees out of 13,000 is just un-realistic and much politicized. It is a collective punishment
The UNRWA has been a key role in aiding Palestinians during tough times, like wars. This was is the most challenging and the services of UNRWA are most needed. It is not the first time that the UNRWA’s funding is cut by USA and some EU countries. Many other times before, its funding was cut, and its services were on halt. It seems like a dream for Israel and many other countries to shut down the UNRWA in Palestine.
UNRWA also used to hold a summer camp for almost 50,000 refugee children yearly in Gaza. Other political parties in Gaza used to hold camps to teach children about extremism, and military. In one of the past years, the UNRWA summer camp was exposed to fire by some extremist members in Gaza. Gaza gunmen 'set fire to UN summer camp for children' - BBC News
It seems like there is an agreement by not only by Israel, US and some EU countries, but also by some Palestinian actors to shut down the UNRWA, and this seems to have been a dream.
The Israeli accusation to UNRWA contradicts with what the Israeli newspaper wrote in July 2012
With UNRWA cutting back, Hamas dominates Gaza summer camp scene | The Times of Israel
So, shutting down UNRWA services means that millions of Palestinian refugee students and civilians will stop to receive educational, developmental, and medical services by the UNRWA.
Also , UNRWA is considered as IFS, instrument for stability, Closing the UNRWA can be a mistake that the US and EU countries may commit. Gaza cannot be envisioned without the existence of the UNRWA because its absence means allowing other extremist organizations to dominate over the minds of children. Stopping UNRWA’s operations in Gaza also means that Gaza will suffer from a severe humanitarian crisis for decades and may be a dangerous spot in the world.
Topic: Humanitarian Crisis — UNRWA · Gaza Politics · international aid · refugees · stability · collective punishment — Original source — PDF