The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, denounced on Wednesday 31 August the “coordinated campaigns by politically motivated advocacy groups” that accuse the schoolbooks used by UNRWA of spreading hate messages, calling them “baseless and shameless” accusations.
“UNRWA has zero tolerance for hate speech, incitement to violence and discrimination”, he told the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, where the issue of school books was at the heart of the debate.
Lazzarini acknowledged that “zero tolerance does not equate to zero risk - especially in the complex and highly politicised and emotional environment in which we operate”. The Commissioner-General pledged that the UN agency would do its utmost to uphold humanitarian principles, including neutrality and UN values. He added that every allegation was taken seriously and action was taken as soon as an incident or misconduct was confirmed.
In addition, UNRWA reviews all host country textbooks, providing guidance to its teachers to ensure that the education provided is in line with UN values and UNESCO standards, added Mr Lazzarini.
Beyond this controversy, the Commissioner-General returned to the situation of Palestinian refugees. “The consequences of the war in Ukraine are being felt worldwide. The countries UNRWA operates in are no exception. The soaring prices of food and commodities are plunging Palestine refugees in the region into deeper poverty with over 80% living below the poverty line in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria”, he explained.
Yet, “due to the chronic underfunding of the Agency over the last decade makes it increasingly challenging for us to fulfil the mandate we received from the UN General Assembly”, he warned, explaining that despite immense outreach efforts, funding has stagnated over the past decade, forcing the Agency to operate with a deficit of about $100 million per year. “We lack sufficient funds to implement our mandate”, he regretted. UNRWA assists 5.7 million Palestinian refugees.
“For several years now, we have managed this underfunding internally. (...) We reduced operational costs by over $600 million since 2015. Today, we have reached the limits of austerity and cost control measures”, he warned.
Mr Lazzarini recalled that UNRWA was the “last pillar” of the international community’s commitment to Palestinian refugees’ right to a dignified life. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)