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)

The Amazon is still burning. Can we save it?

The Amazon is still burning. Can we save it?

In the first 26 days of August alone, 1,114 square kilometres of Brazil's Amazon rainforest, an area equivalent to the size of Hong Kong was on fire.  Tens of thousands of fires, far more than last ...

5 Sep 201918min

Drones above Beirut: Israel's battle against Hezbollah

Drones above Beirut: Israel's battle against Hezbollah

This week, we ask if Israel is stepping up its campaign against Iran and will it spark a war with Hezbollah. We talk to Sunniva Rose, the National's Beirut correspondent and Joseph Haboush, the nati...

30 Aug 201924min

Sudan: Can democracy work?

Sudan: Can democracy work?

On this week's episode, we catch up with The National’s Hamza Hendawi to talk about the historic move to democracy in Sudan and what he sees as the challenges ahead. We also speak to Sara Abduljalee...

21 Aug 201919min

What sparked the Hong Kong protests?

What sparked the Hong Kong protests?

Hong Kong is facing one of the biggest crisis since Britain handed the city back to China in 1997.  For 10 weeks, protesters have shut down the city, stormed the legislature, and even shut down the ...

15 Aug 201917min

Hajj for my brother who was killed at Christchurch

Hajj for my brother who was killed at Christchurch

On this week's episode we talk to Aya Al-Umari, the sister of Hussein Al-Umari, one of the victims who was gunned down in the Christchurch massacre earlier this year.  King Salman of Saudi Arabia ha...

8 Aug 201914min

Future-proofing our cities against record-breaking temperatures

Future-proofing our cities against record-breaking temperatures

This summer has beaten temperature records. Throughout July, Europe sweltered in baking heat. Paris hit 42 degrees centigrade, Berlin 40 and London 39. It is projected that at current rates of clima...

1 Aug 201921min

Can Oman's carbon capturing rocks help save the Earth?

Can Oman's carbon capturing rocks help save the Earth?

Around the world, many governments are starting to take action about carbon emissions, looking at ways to cut greenhouse gases produced each year that are warming up our planet. But action is slow, th...

25 Jul 201919min

Ghost ships: how Iran avoids US oil sanctions

Ghost ships: how Iran avoids US oil sanctions

At around 2 am on July 4, the Panamanian flagged Iranian tanker Grace 1 was boarded by British Royal Marines off the coast of Gibraltar at the mouth of the Mediterranean. The Marines from 42 Command...

17 Jul 201917min

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