Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which issued a statement this morning calling attention to the threat for a deepening humanitarian catastrophe by Israel’s banning of UN’s Palestinian refugee agency operations.
The statement reads: “Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) denounces this legislation, which represents an inhumane ban on vital humanitarian aid. The Knesset’s vote is propelling Palestinians towards an even deeper humanitarian crisis. It is imperative that the world acts to safeguard Palestinians’ fundamental rights. Immediate international intervention is needed to pressure Israel to allow unhindered access to humanitarian aid, implement a ceasefire and bring to an end the current campaign of destruction in Gaza”.
On October 28, the Israeli parliament - the Knesset - banned UNRWA operations. A step which the MSF believes will “further undermine people's survival prospects in Gaza and heavily impact communities in the West Bank”.
“UNRWA is a lifeline for Palestinians,” said Christopher Lockyear, MSF Secretary General. “If implemented, the ban on UNRWA’s activities would have catastrophic implications on the dire humanitarian situation of Palestinians living in Gaza, as well as in the West Bank, now and for generations to come. We strongly condemn this decision, which is the culmination of a long-running campaign against the organisation.”
The ban will make it impossible for UNRWA to work in Gaza or the West Bank. It will also impede coordination with Israeli authorities while entrance permits to either of the occupied territories will be denied. This will block delivery of UNRWA aid into and within Gaza.
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UNRWA which handles almost all the distribution of UN aid coming into the strip is the largest health provider in Gaza, with over half of Gazans relying on UNWRA for essential healthcare services, including for the treatment of chronic diseases, maternal and child heath, and vaccinations. On an average, every day, UNWRA’s health teams provide over 15,000 consultations in the Gaza Strip.
The MSF statement reads: “The ban of its activities threatens to create a vast gap in services within an already largely destroyed health system in Gaza – directly and indirectly endangering the lives of Palestinians. Without urgent action, more Gazans could die from preventable diseases and displacement-related conditions….This vote adds to the endless physical and bureaucratic impediments imposed by Israel to limit the amount of aid reaching Gaza, and blatantly contradicts Israel's claims that it is facilitating humanitarian assistance into the Strip”.