Belize Condemns Israel’s Decision to Withdraw from UNRWA
Background
Belize has strongly condemned Israel’s decision to withdraw its request to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which dates back to 1967. This condemnation follows Israel’s recent passage of two bills that aim to sever all contact between the Israeli government and UNRWA, as well as bar the agency from operating within Israel.
Support for Palestinian Refugees and UNRWA
By issuing this firm and unequivocal stance, Belize is signaling its support for Palestinian refugees and the vital work of UNRWA, which has been providing humanitarian aid and services to Palestinian refugees since 1949. The move by Israel to restrict the agency’s activities is seen as part of its broader efforts to limit international assistance to Palestinians and undermine the agency’s role in addressing the refugee crisis.
International Condemnation
"Belize firmly and unequivocally condemns this latest illegal action of the state of Israel and calls on the international community and all members of the United Nations to ensure that UNRWA is not dismantled and that international humanitarian law is adhered to," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.
UN Agencies and Organizations Speak Out
Belmopan noted that the heads of the UN agencies and organizations providing humanitarian support on the ground in Gaza have all spoken out against the Israeli ban on UNRWA. The acting head of the UN aid coordination office called the decision "dangerous and outrageous", while UNRWA’s head said that the bills will "increase the suffering of the Palestinians and are nothing less than collective punishment."
UN Human Rights Office and World Health Organisation React
The UN Human Rights Office declared that aid deliveries will "grind to a halt" without UNRWA, and the head of the World Health Organisation called the development "intolerable." UNICEF chief Catherine Russell declared that "this decision is dangerous; the lives and futures of Palestinian children are at stake," while James Elder, a UNICEF staffer in the region, denounced the decision, saying "a new way has been found to kill children."
Belize’s Position
Belize said that UNRWA is "irreplaceable," adding "it is not just an aid agency." It provides education, healthcare, social services, and protection for Palestinian refugees. In Gaza, starvation and deprivation of water and the destruction of health services have been used by the Israeli state to complement its bombing and shelling in its commission of genocide.
"It is no less than a death warrant gratuitously and heartlessly inflicted on hundreds of thousands of children, women, and the elderly by the Israeli state," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade said in the statement.
Conclusion
Belize’s stance on this matter is clear: there must be a total ban on the sale or transfer of arms to Israel, and means must be found to take life-saving aid to the Palestinian people. Israel can no longer simply be allowed to exterminate a people.
FAQs
Q: What is the significance of UNRWA’s withdrawal from Israel?
A: The withdrawal will have devastating consequences, as UNRWA is the primary provider of humanitarian aid and services to Palestinian refugees.
Q: What is the impact of the Israeli government’s decision on Palestinian refugees?
A: The ban will increase the suffering of the Palestinians and is nothing less than collective punishment.
Q: What is Belize’s stance on the matter?
A: Belize firmly and unequivocally condemns this latest illegal action of the state of Israel and calls on the international community and all members of the United Nations to ensure that UNRWA is not dismantled and that international humanitarian law is adhered to.
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