UNRWA, the UN agency for “Palestinian” refugees, is warning of a looming “catastrophe” for the hundreds of thousands of “Palestinians” residing in Lebanon, suggesting the agency has one last month left to live. The original “Nakba-catastrophe” was the 1948 flight of the Arabs of Eretz Israel to the surrounding Arab countries. The latest “Nakba-catastrophe” will be the end of international handouts through UNRWA.
Dorothée Klaus, who runs UNRWA in Lebanon, has told The Financial Times, “We will continue our operations until the end of March.” After that, the more than a quarter-million handout recipients in Lebanon will have to find someone else to take care of them. Working is often not an option for these “Palestinians,” who are forbidden by law to work in Lebanon, even though all of them were born there.
Come the end of March, the UNRWA staff of 30,000, some of whom have been moonlighting as Hamas terrorists, and many who helped, will collect their last paycheck. They are spread over Gaza, the PA, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.
Sixteen countries have suspended their funding to UNRWA until the UN’s oversight office concludes its investigation of Israel’s allegation of agency collaboration with terrorists.
“We hope that as many donors as possible indicate to the agency that they are reconsidering the funding freeze and that funding will be restored to the agency, hopefully in such a way that we don’t have a cash flow issue, and services continue uninterrupted,” Klaus said last month, adding, “We don’t have a plan B.”
On February 29, UNRWA enlisted the support of donor organizations whose countries had lost faith in it. Those NGOs conceded that “It is important to ensure a thorough investigation into the grave allegations by the Israeli authorities that 12 UNRWA employees directly participated in the attacks on October 7, and to ensure full transparency and accountability going forward,” however, “the investigation and any subsequent accountability measures must not derail the critical, life-saving work of UNRWA in Gaza and throughout the region.”
The NGOs elegantly skipped the part about a substantial segment of UNRWA employees being active collaborators with Hamas in hospitals, schools, and food distribution locations. They mentioned only the 12 UNRWA employees who raped and murdered Israelis.
And so, much as Hamas is surrounding itself with civilians to preserve itself, so does UNRWA. Instead of giving back the keys and letting non-terrorists do the job, UNRWA relies on its brothers in arms. The gang’s all here: International Rescue Committee, MdM International Network, Handicap International – Humanity & Inclusion, Norwegian Refugee Council, CARE International, Eurochild, Plan International, Mercy Corps, ActionAid International, Premiere Urgence Internationale, Save the Children, Action Against Hunger, Danish Refugee Council, Refugees International, War Child Alliance, DanChurch Aid, and last but not least, Oxfarm.
“NGOs have made it clear that they are unable to substitute for or absorb the role of UNRWA, especially in the context of the current crisis,” these NGOs testified. “Furthermore, the continuing operation of UNRWA is essential to their own life-saving work.”
One hand washes the blood off the other.
“As underlined by the High Representative Josep Borrell on 4 February 2024, UNRWA is a critical lifeline for millions of Palestinians,” they continue. “UNRWA employs more than 13,000 staff in Gaza, of whom 158 have been killed since the fighting began. Any pause or suspension of funding also poses major problems for UNRWA’s mission and its more than 30,000 staff throughout the wider region, with the agency serving nearly six million Palestinian refugees who live within the occupied Palestinian territory and across the region. It is imperative that donors resume support to UNRWA as quickly as possible to avoid damaging the Gaza aid operation at a critical time.”
Like the monster in the movies who won’t give up, rising time and again from the pool of its ectoplasm, UNRWA is protecting its turf, relying on the reluctance of the NGOs to replace it. This fire-breathing Chimera is not walking away easily.
