In a phone call with Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, discussed the current developments in the Middle East.
They also discussed ways to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in carrying out its noble humanitarian tasks.
The two sides also discussed the need to ensure urgent, intensive, safe, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian, relief, and medical aid to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, prevent further loss of life, and avoid exacerbating the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The UAE Top Diplomat affirmed the UAE’s unwavering support for UNRWA and the importance of the role it plays in delivering humanitarian aid and supporting Palestinian refugees. He stressed that UNRWA’s role is vital in light of the current circumstances facing the brotherly Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip, where two million people are in dire need of the assistance provided by UNRWA and other UN agencies.
He commended UNRWA’s prompt action to investigate the allegations made against some of its staff, stressing the importance of ensuring that this matter does not have negative repercussions on UNRWA’s humanitarian efforts and the vital and urgent services it provides to Palestinian refugees, especially since the agency has taken it upon itself to expedite the investigation.
Sheikh Abdullah also called upon the donor countries that have suspended their funding to UNRWA to urgently reconsider this decision and continue to provide support to the agency to enable it to carry out its humanitarian tasks.