Islamabad: Pakistan has urged the international community to renew its support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), emphasizing the need to halt the ongoing demonization and delegitimization of the agency.
According to Radio Pakistan, in a statement delivered at the UN Fourth Committee meeting, First Secretary at the Pakistani Mission Ansar Shah underlined the importance of concrete measures to ensure that UNRWA remains operational and continues its critical humanitarian work for Palestinian refugees.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their inalienable right to self-determination. He called on all UN member states to provide political, financial, and operational support to UNRWA and stressed that sustaining and expanding the agency’s operations is essential to mitigating the harmful effects of Israel’s actions in the region.
He said Pakistan strongly condemns the Israeli attempts to dismantle UNRWA’s operations, which is a b
latant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and the provisional measures set by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The First Secretary further said the international community must step in to prevent the collapse of UNRWA, which would leave millions of Palestinians without access to essential public services like education, health care, and social support.
Highlighting the dire situation in Gaza, he said the entire population of Gaza fears that access to essential public services will be cut, on which their lives depend. He warned that without intervention by member states, UNRWA will collapse, and millions of Palestinians will be plunged into chaos.
The Pakistani diplomat also condemned recent Israeli actions, including the passage of laws by the Israeli parliament that directly undermine the agency’s mandate, and Israel’s audacity in declaring the UN Secretary-General persona non grata. Ansar Shah said these actions represent a direct challenge to the principles of the UN Charter and in
ternational law.