The Palestinian Embassy in Nigeria has sounded the alarm on a looming humanitarian crisis in Gaza, following the Israeli Knesset’s approval of a bill to end the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This decision, made despite international opposition, will have devastating consequences for millions of Palestinian refugees, particularly in Gaza.
According to Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh, the bill will deepen the suffering and misery of millions of Palestinian refugees, with nearly 650,000 students in Gaza being deprived of their right to education. UNRWA employs 30,000 Palestinians, serves almost six million refugees, and provides vital services in eight Palestinian refugee camps in Gaza and the West Bank.
The Ambassador emphasized that the international community’s pledge to “leave no one behind” rings hollow for Palestinians, who have been left behind. With the situation on the ground growing more dire by the day, the international community must take immediate action to address this humanitarian crisis and uphold the rights of Palestinian refugees.
As Shawesh poignantly noted, “We the Palestinians, were left behind.” It is time for the world to recognize the plight of the Palestinian people and work towards a just and lasting solution.
