JERUSALEM, Thursday, May 23, 2019 (WAFA) - The future of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is not determined by one party or another, but rather by the Member States of the United Nations, and it is continuing with its humanitarian work and serving millions of Palestinian refugees, today said UNRWA spokesman, Sami Mshasha.

He told WAFA that describing UNRWA as “irredeemably flawed” and that it is “running on fumes”, as some have claimed yesterday during the UN Security Council meeting on UNRWA, is far from the truth.

He said that attempts to hold UNRWA responsible for the failure of the international community in finding a just solution to the refugee issue is an obvious attempt to divert attention away from a political solution to the Palestinian refugee issue.

UNRWA Commissioner-General rejected in his intervention at the UNSC session the false accusations against the agency and attempts to delegitimize it and question its neutrality while attempting to change the definition of who is the Palestinian refugee by American and Israeli representatives, said Mshasha.

He thanked the countries that continue to support UNRWA and called on the international community to urgently support UNRWA budget and its vital programs. He stressed the importance of supporting it and to participate in the fundraising conference which will be held in New York on 25 June.

Regarding the current financial situation and the liquidity of UNRWA, Mshasha said "the money that will enable us to continue our operations will deplete by the middle of next month, which will affect our ability to provide regular and emergency services such as providing food and other essential assistance to one million refugees in Gaza, not to mention its impact on our overall educational, health and relief operations.”

M.K.