Palestinians take the Al-Rashid road towards Gaza City from Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, on October 10, 2025. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on Friday reaffirmed the indispensable role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in safeguarding the rights and welfare of Palestinian refugees.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers said: “For decades, UNRWA has fulfilled the unique mandate entrusted to it by the international community, providing protection, education, health care, social services and emergency assistance to millions of Palestinian refugees in its areas of operation, in accordance with United Nations General Assembly resolution 302 (1949).
The adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution to renew UNRWA’s mandate for another three years reflects international confidence in the vital role played by the agency and in the continuity of its operations.
The ministers condemned the assault on the UNRWA headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem by Israeli forces, as this attack represents a blatant violation of international law and the inviolability of UN premises, which constitutes an unacceptable escalation and violates the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of October 22, 2025, which clearly stated that Israel, as the occupying power, has the obligation not to hinder the operations of UNRWA and, on the contrary, to facilitate them.
In light of the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, the ministers highlighted the critical role played by UNRWA in delivering humanitarian assistance through its network of distribution centers, ensuring that food, relief items and essential commodities reach those in need fairly and efficiently, in line with Security Council Resolution 2803.
UNRWA schools and health facilities remain a lifeline for refugee communities in Gaza, continuing to provide essential education and primary health care in extremely difficult conditions, helping to implement President Trump’s plan on the ground and allowing the Palestinian people to remain on their land and rebuild their homeland, they added.
The ministers stressed that the role of UNRWA was irreplaceable.
“No other entity has the infrastructure, expertise and on-the-ground presence necessary to meet the needs of Palestinian refugees or to ensure continuity of services on the necessary scale,” they added.
They said: “Any weakening of the agency’s capacity would have serious humanitarian, social and political repercussions across the region.”
Accordingly, the ministers called on the international community to ensure sustainable and adequate funding for UNRWA and provide the agency with the necessary political and operational space to continue its vital work “across all five areas of operations”.
“Supporting UNRWA is the cornerstone of maintaining stability, preserving human dignity and respecting the rights of Palestinian refugees until a just and lasting solution to their plight is found in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, including UN General Assembly Resolution 194,” they added.
