The gravity of Israel’s ban on UNRWA

The gravity of Israel’s ban on UNRWA

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, was this week ordered to stop its operations in occupied East Jerusalem, three months after Israel’s parliament voted to ban it.

UNRWA is the main provider of humanitarian aid and other public services for Palestinians. In East Jerusalem, it runs 12 facilities that provide critical public services, including schools where more than 1,200 children are enrolled and free clinics that serve more than 70,000 people.

But the impact of the ban would extend across the West Bank as well, where the organisation offers primary healthcare services and 47,000 children go to UNRWA schools. The move would also affect its work in Gaza. During Israel's war on the enclave, up to a million people at a time have sought refuge in UNRWA shelters.

Pressure from the international community and pleas by UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini at the UN Security Council to stop the ban from being put into effect have failed so far. Israel insisted the ban would not be reversed and the US backed its “sovereign decision”, saying UNRWA is not the only provider of aid to Palestinians.

Despite the legislation, UNRWA has stated it will continue to do its work for as long as it can, but fears are growing that the ban will have far-reaching consequences.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Tamara Alrifai, UNRWA's director of external relations and communications, about the toll this could take on Palestinians in dire need of humanitarian assistance, and how the agency will be able to carry out its work going forward.

Jaksot(477)

What does Erdogan’s win mean for Turkey and the world?

What does Erdogan’s win mean for Turkey and the world?

Nato, Sweden, F16s, inflation and refugees. What do they all have in common? Erdogan and Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the run-off election on May 28, defeating Kemal Kilicdaroglu. On thi...

1 Kesä 202314min

Cyclone Mocha wrecks Myanmar Rohingya’s lives and hopes

Cyclone Mocha wrecks Myanmar Rohingya’s lives and hopes

On May 14, Cyclone Mocha unleashed its fury upon the port town of Sittwe in the Rakhine state. The devastation was catastrophic, particularly for the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority. Even a week a...

26 Touko 202311min

What’s at stake in Turkey’s election run-off?

What’s at stake in Turkey’s election run-off?

Hope, disappointment, joy and confusion are some of the emotions Turks felt after a rollercoaster election day.   In the vote on May 14, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan scored 49.51 per cent, just shy ...

19 Touko 20238min

The significance of Syria’s return to the Arab League

The significance of Syria’s return to the Arab League

Syria’s devastating civil war has raged for more than 12 years. In that time, Half a million people have been killed, by some estimates. Three million have been left with a disability. And half of the...

12 Touko 202322min

King Charles coronation: What to expect from the day and the new king?

King Charles coronation: What to expect from the day and the new king?

Millions of people in the UK and around the whole world are preparing for a rare weekend indeed, with a new king to be crowned. On May 6, the coronation of King Charles III will be held at Westminster...

2 Touko 202316min

Sudan’s refugee crisis

Sudan’s refugee crisis

Life for many in Sudan has become intolerable. People have been trapped in their own homes by two weeks of fighting and failed ceasefires. Disruptions to power, the internet, water supplies and food h...

27 Huhti 202312min

Why has Sudan erupted in violence?

Why has Sudan erupted in violence?

Khartoum has been hit by days of fierce fighting between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary force. As the death toll rises, people have been forced to shelter from the violence, and food, wate...

19 Huhti 202314min

How the Saudi-Iran reconciliation could transform the Middle East

How the Saudi-Iran reconciliation could transform the Middle East

Can a handshake transform a region?   After long years of tension, Saudi Arabia and Iran decided in March to normalise diplomatic relations. Weeks later, the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers met fa...

14 Huhti 202314min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

aikalisa
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
tervo-halme
politiikan-puskaradio
viisupodi
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-podme-livebox
radio-antro
rss-asiastudio
otetaan-yhdet
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
linda-maria
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
io-techin-tekniikkapodcast
the-ulkopolitist
rss-kiina-ilmiot
rss-mina-ukkola
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel