Pakistan lauds UNRWA for Gaza aid

UNITED NATIONS:

Pakistan has commended the “indispensable” humanitarian services being rendered to the war-ravaged Gazans by UNRWA, the beleaguered UN agency for Palestinian refugees, amid intensive attempts by Israel to dismantle it.

“It is therefore imperative that we prioritize the continuity of UNRWA’s operations to provide life-saving assistance to the people of Gaza,” Pakistani delegate Rabia Ijaz told a pledging conference for the agency, at UN Headquarters in New York on Friday.

Pakistan, she said, was committed to providing relief and support to the Palestinian brothers and sisters, having already dispatched, since October last, over 8 planeloads carrying more than 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The agency has been supporting critical services including education, health and social services to some 5.9 million Palestine refugees.

It also administers 58 refugee camps, addressing the dire humanitarian needs of over 1.6 million people across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The annual pledging conference, held under the auspices of the General Assembly, serves as a vital platform to raise funds for these operations.