BEIRUT: Palestinian refugees in Tyre, southern Lebanon, on Friday staged a protest outside UNRWA’s office to protest against the agency’s announcement that due to the suspension of its funding it may have to close its operations in the region by the end of the month.
Several countries, including the US, UK, Australia, Canada, France and Germany, halted their financial support for the UN agency following allegations that several of its employees were involved in the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7.
Ayham Al-Sahli, a journalist familiar with the situation in Lebanon, said: “What is happening is extremely dangerous. Not only is this collective punishment, but its goal is to erase the sole witness to the Palestinian refugee cause.
“This matter has been raised before. Assuming that 12 UNRWA employees participated in the Oct. 7 attack, which has not yet been confirmed, should all refugees be punished? By what logic does this apply?”
Al-Sahli, who is also a member of the Institute for Palestine Studies in Beirut, continued: “UNRWA’s budget in Lebanon is $160 million annually, through which the agency provides the minimum services to refugees.
“This includes education for all Palestinian students in Lebanon who receive their education in the agency’s schools, medical services and employee salaries. If there is a 70 percent cut in this budget, all services will shrink and in return Lebanon’s services to Palestinian refugees will be zero.”
Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed his call to “end the agency’s mandate and replace it with other UN-affiliated or non-UN aid agencies.”
UNRWA is the only agency in charge of Palestinian refugee affairs. As well as dealing with relief aid and employment issues, it handles the rehabilitation of the camps’ infrastructure and provides community support.
Ghassan Ayoub, a Palestinian leader in the Ain Al-Helweh camp, said: “Lebanon is facing a severe economic crisis and is unable to provide health and education services to its citizens, so how is it going to provide services to Palestinian refugees?
“The presence of UNRWA is a stabilizing factor in refugee camps and the instability of this factor will have serious repercussions.
“If funding is discontinued, the situation will be disastrous on the humanitarian, social and living levels.”
He continued: “There are over 4,000 employees at UNRWA in Lebanon, as well as others who work in certain programs, including a program funded by Germany called Cash for Work, which has been employing refugees for four years. All these programs are carried out through UNRWA. What will happen to these people? They’ll be left without relief, health or work.”
UNRWA was established in 1949 to help about 6 million Palestinian refugees scattered between Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Ayoub said: “Despite the political goal, which is settling the issue of return, the commission doesn’t provide any services to refugees. It is in charge of resettling or arranging the refugees’ status where they are. Do they want to resettle Palestinians in a third country?”
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon protest against UNRWA funding cuts
https://arab.news/pss4k
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon protest against UNRWA funding cuts
- Halting support for UN agency will be ‘disastrous,’ Palestinian leader says
- ‘What is happening is extremely dangerous,’ observer says
STC announces dissolution
The Yemeni separatist group Southern Transitional Council (STC) has announced it will dissolve following talks in Saudi Arabia. Several STC members are in Riyadh for discussions on ending unrest in southern Yemen. The group praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts, while former STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi, now wanted by the Presidential Council for high treason, has fled Yemen and has not participated in the talks.
A Yemeni source told Arab News: “this announcement and ease shown in the televised video statement shows that in fact Al Zubaidi was the obstacle, and that most southerners are open to resolving their matter via dialogue and discussion”
The members of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen spoke during the Riyadh Southern Dialogue Conference on Friday.
During the meeting, the Council said military operations in Hadramout and Mahra harmed the Southern cause in Yemen.
The Council said they did not participate in the decision for the military operations in Hadramout and Mahra.
"We hope to reach a vision and concept for resolving the Southern issue at the Riyadh Conference,” said the Council.
The Council thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the dialogue conference in Riyadh.
- Below is a full translation of the STC announcement as reported by the Arabic language Yemeni news agency (SABA):
Announcement of the Dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council
The Presidency of the Southern Transitional Council, the Supreme Executive Leadership, the General Secretariat, and the other affiliated bodies convened a meeting to assess the recent unfortunate events in the governorates of Hadramout and Al-Mahrah, and the subsequent rejection of all efforts toward de-escalation and resolution. These developments have led to serious and painful consequences. Referring to the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding its sponsorship of a southern dialogue to resolve the southern issue—and in order to safeguard the future of the southern cause and the right of the southern people to restore their state according to their will and aspirations, and to preserve peace and social security in the South and the broader region—we make the following declaration:
The Southern Transitional Council was established to carry the cause of the southern people, represent them, and lead them toward achieving their aspirations and restoring their state. We founded it with the belief that the goal was to achieve this mission—not to cling to it as a means of gaining power, monopolizing decision-making, or excluding others.
Since we were not involved in the decision to launch the military operation in Hadramout and Al-Mahrah—an operation that harmed southern unity and damaged relations with the coalition led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has made and continues to make great sacrifices and provide ongoing political, economic, and military support—the continued existence of the Council no longer serves the purpose for which it was created. In light of this and our historical responsibility toward the southern cause, we hereby announce the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council, the disbanding of all its main and subsidiary bodies, and the closure of all its offices inside and outside the country. We will instead work to achieve our just southern goal by preparing for and participating in the comprehensive southern conference under the Kingdom’s sponsorship.
We commend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its clear and explicit commitments and the sincere concern it has shown for our cause in seeking solutions that meet the aspirations and will of the southern people.
We call on all active southern figures and leaders to engage in the path of the comprehensive southern dialogue conference, hoping that the participants will reach a vision and framework to resolve the southern issue and fulfill the people’s aspirations through their free will, and to establish an inclusive southern framework.
From this platform, we call on the people of the South, our colleagues in the capital Aden, and all the governorates of our beloved South to recognize the gravity of this moment, the sensitivity of the current phase, and the importance of uniting efforts to preserve our gains and protect the South from chaos or instability.
We reaffirm our continued commitment to serving the just and legitimate cause of the southern people and achieving their aspirations according to their will. We also extend our gratitude to the leadership and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting the comprehensive southern dialogue conference and for their support of the South, its cause, and its people across all fields and stages.
