Lazzarini: Can UNRWA survive Israel’s campaign and funding cuts?

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini discusses the challenges facing the UN agency established to support Palestinian refugees. Amid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where more than 250 UNRWA staff have been killed and infrastructure destroyed, the agency also faces accusations from Israel of ties to Hamas, which it denies.

These claims have led to frozen funding from key Western donors, threatening its operations. With millions of Palestinians relying on its aid, Lazzarini addresses whether UNRWA can withstand political and financial attacks while continuing to fulfill its mandate in one of the world’s most complex and devastating crises.