UN Agency Facing Shutdown in East Jerusalem, Leaving Thousands Without Aid
Tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem are facing the loss of crucial education, healthcare, and other essential services provided by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, as an Israeli ban takes effect.
Israel Orders UNRWA Closure
Israel’s government ordered UNRWA to vacate its East Jerusalem compound and cease operations effective Thursday. This follows a law passed last year outlawing the agency and prohibiting Israeli authorities from engaging with it. Workers at UNRWA’s offices in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood have been busy packing boxes and loading portable buildings onto trucks, visibly demonstrating the agency’s impending closure.
“It’s an unacceptable decision,” said Jonathan Fowler, a spokesperson for UNRWA. “The people that we serve…we are not able to tell them what is going to happen to our services as of the end of this week.”
Israel has yet to announce plans for replacing UNRWA’s vital services. The Israeli prime minister’s office has not responded to requests for comment.
Decades of Service Under Threat
For decades, UNRWA has provided essential services to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem, a territory Israel occupied in 1967. These refugees, lacking nationality, rely heavily on UNRWA’s schools, clinics, and other aid programs.
“We have everything here for us. When I heard that it will close, I was very sad because here is a place for people in need and for people who don’t have money to pay for medication,” expressed refugee Sara Saeed, speaking outside UNRWA’s medical center in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Medical center Director Hamza Al Jibrini revealed that the facility serves 30,000 refugees, including patients with chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension, pregnant women, and children receiving vaccinations. Head of nursing Manal AlKhayat poignantly questioned, “Where will they go?”
Impact Beyond East Jerusalem?
While Israel’s ban directly impacts Israeli territory, which it considers East Jerusalem to be, UNRWA’s operations extend to the occupied West Bank and Gaza. However, the exact implications of this law on UNRWA’s work in these areas remain unclear.
Israel’s Long-Standing Criticism
Established 75 years ago, UNRWA serves approximately 750,000 Palestinian refugees from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Its headquarters, strategically located near Jerusalem’s Old City, have long drawn criticism from Israeli governments, who perceive the agency as fundamentally opposed to Israel’s interests.
Israel maintains that UNRWA’s continued existence has perpetuated the refugee status across generations, hindering the peace process. They accuse UNRWA of anti-Israel bias and claim that some staff members belong to Hamas, the Palestinian militant group responsible for a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israel calls for UNRWA’s functions to be transferred to other UN bodies, specifically UNHCR, the UN’s main refugee agency. However, the UN vehemently rejects accusations of bias, asserting UNRWA’s irreplaceable expertise, particularly in Gaza.
A UN investigation identified nine UNRWA staff members potentially involved in the Hamas attack. While UNRWA terminated their employment, they maintain that Israel hasn’t provided concrete evidence of wider staff involvement. UNRWA employs approximately 30,000 individuals across the region, including 13,000 in Gaza. Tragically, over 200 UNRWA staff members have lost their lives in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict. Meanwhile, Israel reports 1,200 Israeli and foreign casualties and 250 hostages taken to Gaza.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its retaliatory offensive.
**Learn more about UNRWA’s vital work and the impact of this closure on Palestinian refugees.**
Visit the UNRWA website: https://www.unrwa.org/
**Let your voice be heard. Contact your elected officials and urge them to support UNRWA’s vital humanitarian mission.**