Cairo, Oct. 24 (Petra)-- The Arab Parliament has reaffirmed its full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), commending its vital humanitarian role despite the severe challenges it faces as a result of Israeli occupation crimes, restrictive policies, and disinformation campaigns.
This came during a meeting between Arab Parliament Speaker Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Yamahi and UNRWA Director Marc Lassouaoui on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meetings held in Geneva from October 19 to 23.
Al Yamahi stressed that UNRWA remains a cornerstone of humanitarian efforts directed toward the Palestinian people, emphasizing that its continued operation is an urgent necessity given the dire humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and the Gaza Strip.
He noted that the Arab Parliament continues its efforts to urge countries that suspended their funding for the agency to resume financial support. Al Yamahi referred to his recent meeting with the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, who pledged to press his government to restore funding, describing the suspension of aid as a violation of international law.
He added that the Arab Parliament had issued an official appeal during its address to the IPU General Assembly, calling on member states to resume funding for UNRWA and to strengthen its essential humanitarian role.
Al Yamahi further emphasized that the top priority after a ceasefire in Gaza should be reconstruction and the delivery of humanitarian aid tasks that cannot be carried out without UNRWA’s involvement, as it is the UN body most capable of implementing such operations on the ground and most familiar with the realities inside Gaza.
He also revealed a preliminary agreement with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie to organize a joint international parliamentary event, in cooperation with UNRWA and the IPU, to issue a unified global call for supporting the agency and enhancing its humanitarian role in Palestine.
For his part, Lassouaoui praised the Arab Parliament’s efforts to encourage Sweden to resume its funding for UNRWA, expressing the agency’s keenness to work closely with the Arab Parliament to highlight its vital humanitarian and life-saving role for the Palestinian people. He stressed that despite limited resources, UNRWA’s services remain a lifeline for millions of Palestinian refugees.
//Petra// MF
