JERUSALEM: It is unrealistic to think the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, can easily be replaced, its head said on Thursday (Feb 29) in the face of calls for its abolition.
“It is a little bit short-sighted to believe that UNRWA can just technically hand over all its activities to other UN agencies or NGOs,” Philippe Lazzarini told journalists at the agency’s headquarters in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
“It’s an agency (that’s) quite unique because we are … primarily providing government-like services to one of the most destitute communities in the region,” he said.
Pointing to education, he said, “there is no one except a functioning and administrative state which can provide a direct education to all these grades, at scale”.
In Gaza, he added, “we have the biggest footprint, we are providing the entire operation platform of the rest of the humanitarian community”.
Source: CNA
