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STORY: UN / UNRWA ISRAELI PARLIAMENT
TRT: 02:15
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 17 OCTOBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations
17 OCTOBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK CITY
2. Pan left, ambassadors at the stakeout podium
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jordan:
“UNRWA’s role is indispensable and irreplaceable. It is the cornerstone and the backbone of humanitarian assistance to generations of Palestinian refugees through the provision of essential education, health relief and social services programs and emergency assistance in the occupied Palestinian territory, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. We highlight the findings of the independent review of mechanisms and procedures to ensure adherence by UNRWA to the humanitarian principles of neutrality led by Mrs.Catherine Colonna, and welcomed the Agency's commitment to fully implement its recommendations.”
4. Wide shot, Hmoud at the podium
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Tareq M. A. M. AlBanai, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Kuwait:
“We stress the serious humanitarian, political and security risks that would result from any interruption or suspension of its vital work. We express our appreciation and admiration for the work of the staff of the Agency in all fields of operation and fulfilment of the agency's mandate and respect for the principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence. We reaffirm the shared commitments on UNWRA, which gathered universal support with 123 signatories to this date, and we remain committed to support the ability of the Agency to fulfil its vital mandate.”
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Palestine:
“UNRWA is indispensable. We will defend it. It will continue its mandate stemming from a mandate in the General Assembly until the rights of the Palestine refugees is fulfilled in the basis of resolution 194.”
7. Pan right, ambassadors walk away
Ambassadors from 123 member states today (17 Oct)expressed their support for the Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) and their opposition to two bills before the Israeli parliament that could put a halt to its operations.
Jordanian Ambassador Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud said UNRWA’s role “is indispensable and irreplaceable,” and is “the cornerstone and the backbone of humanitarian assistance to generations of Palestinian refugees through the provision of essential education, health relief and social services programs and emergency assistance in the occupied Palestinian territory, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic.”
Hmoud highlighted the findings of the independent review of UNRWA’s mechanisms and procedures to ensure its adherence to the humanitarian principles of neutrality led by Catherine Colonna, “and welcomed the Agency's commitment to fully implement its recommendations.”
Kuwaiti Ambassador Tareq AlBanai stressed “the serious humanitarian, political and security risks that would result from any interruption or suspension” of UNRWA’s “vital work.”
AlBanai reaffirmed “the shared commitments on UNWRA, which gathered universal support with 123 signatories to this date, and we remain committed to support the ability of the Agency to fulfil its vital mandate.”
Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour for his part said, “UNRWA is indispensable. We will defend it. It will continue its mandate stemming from a mandate in the General Assembly until the rights of the Palestine refugees is fulfilled in the basis of resolution 194.”
UNRWA was established more than 70 years ago and supports Palestine refugees in five locations across the Middle East. The draft laws seek to evict the agency from its premises in territories under Israeli control and to revoke its privileges and immunities.
