Palestinian Official Warns of UNRWA's Diminishing Role in Gaza

Ali Hweidi, director of the Palestinian 302 Defense Authority, has warned that the exclusion of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from future arrangements for the Gaza Strip could undermine the agency's role in the Palestinian refugee issue. This warning comes as UNRWA faces significant financial and operational challenges.

Hweidi's concerns were expressed in response to recent developments, including the reduction of UNRWA's operational days from five to four per week and a 20% cut in staff salaries. These measures, he argues, directly impact the quality of services, particularly in education, and the ability of schools to compensate for lost educational opportunities.

In Gaza, UNRWA has already ended services for 570 employees who were forced to leave the sector during the war, a decision made under the previous commissioner-general, Philip Lazzarini. Hweidi also noted a decline in the number of students enrolled in UNRWA schools in Lebanon, from around 37,000 last year to approximately 35,000 currently. He warned that merging and closing some schools could increase school dropout rates and child labor, given the difficult living conditions faced by families.

In Jerusalem and the West Bank, Hweidi highlighted the targeting of UNRWA's Sheikh Jarrah office, the demolition of its facilities, and the seizure of the Qalandia Training Institute. Additionally, he mentioned the ongoing displacement of about 40,000 Palestinians from refugee camps in the north of the West Bank and their prevention from returning.

Regarding funding, Hweidi noted that the estimated deficit has risen from around $60-70 million to nearly $100 million, warning of further austerity measures that could burden both employees and refugees. He attributed the main responsibility for obstructing UNRWA's operations and targeting its facilities to the Israeli occupation, but emphasized that this does not absolve the agency's management and the United Nations of their responsibility to protect UNRWA's role.