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.

Episoder(477)

Politics, protests and partying in the streets of Lebanon

Politics, protests and partying in the streets of Lebanon

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Lebanon from the north to the south. The demonstrations have gone viral across social media platforms with videos of raves through the even...

23 Okt 201924min

Where are Iraq's protests going?

Where are Iraq's protests going?

On October 1st, young Iraqis took to the streets in Iraq’s southern provinces to demand basic services like clean water and electricity, job creation and an end to widespread corruption. The governmen...

17 Okt 201913min

Why Turkey is invading Northern Syria

Why Turkey is invading Northern Syria

On the afternoon of October 6, US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the more than 8 year Syrian civil war. That one phone call upended nearly five years of ...

9 Okt 201921min

As Hazza Al Mansouri returns, the UAE looks to Mars, the Moon and beyond

As Hazza Al Mansouri returns, the UAE looks to Mars, the Moon and beyond

At 2.59pm UAE time on Thursday the 3rd of October 2019 Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati in space touched down on Earth after spending 8 days at the international space station.   For the last eigh...

3 Okt 201914min

Hazza Al Mansouri and the UAE’s space ambitions

Hazza Al Mansouri and the UAE’s space ambitions

On the 27th of September 2019, Hazza Al Mansouri became the first Emirati to go to space. He did it from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, from the same spot that Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, started his...

26 Sep 201915min

UNGA special: Greta Thunberg and Donald Trump

UNGA special: Greta Thunberg and Donald Trump

The United Nations General Assembly is the pinnacle of global diplomacy. For one week every year more than 190 world leaders gather in New York City.   Some of the big news stories from the UN General...

25 Sep 201914min

Is the Israeli election Netanyahu’s final chapter?

Is the Israeli election Netanyahu’s final chapter?

What does Israel’s second election in 2019 mean for Netanyahu, the Jewish population and the Arabs and Palestinians? Deputy foreign editor, Jack Moore, takes a look at the results of the vote and spea...

19 Sep 201923min

Bye bye, Bolton

Bye bye, Bolton

US National Security Advisor John Bolton has been fired. Or perhaps he resigned. On Twitter Donald Trump says he fired him whilst Bolton claims he quit. The hawkish security advisor has been one o...

12 Sep 201922min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
stopp-verden
forklart
aftenpodden-usa
i-retten
popradet
nokon-ma-ga
det-store-bildet
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-ness
aftenbla-bla
rss-gukild-johaug
fotballpodden-2
hanna-de-heldige
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
e24-podden
rss-dannet-uten-piano