Outgoing UNRWA Chief Lazzarini Gets Honored
“Philippe Lazzarini has shown what principled leadership at the United Nations looks like,” said Andrew Gilmour, chair of United Staff for Gaza and former UN assistant secretary-general for human rights. Gilmour praised Lazzarini for steering the agency through “the worst crisis ever endured by a UN agency” while managing “unbearable pressures.”
United Staff for Gaza emphasized that Lazzarini led UNRWA as Israel “sought to dismantle it” through operational restrictions and attacks on its facilities. Since the escalation of the conflict with Israel, more than 390 UNRWA personnel have been killed in Gaza, with many others subjected to arbitrary detention, as stated by reports.
Despite a “severe lack of meaningful support” from the international community, the agency continued to carry out its mandate to serve Palestinian refugees. The group criticized global powers for offering rhetorical praise while failing to provide the political and financial assistance necessary to sustain operations.
The leadership transition comes amid an existential threat to UNRWA following Israel’s ban on its activities in January 2025. In early 2026, Israeli forces raided the agency’s headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem, following a 2024 U.S. decision to suspend funding, according to reports.
United Staff for Gaza warned that the collapse of UNRWA could have “dire ramifications” for Middle East stability and the international order. They called on member states to provide the organization with sufficient resources to protect the rights of millions of Palestinian refugees.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
