From Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini
¡°Switzerland is the guardian of international humanitarian law and the repository of the Geneva Conventions, with a long honorable record in assisting victims of war around the world, without distinction.
¡°On Monday, the country¡¯s lower house of parliament, the National Council, has an opportunity to underscore Switzerland¡¯s storied commitment to humanitarianism amid the unprecedented crisis in the Gaza Strip.
¡°I urge members of the National Council to do the right thing by rejecting attempts to cut funding for Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA, just as their counterparts in the upper house, the Council of States, have done.
¡°Gaza is locked in the most severe humanitarian crisis in its history and Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA is a lifeline for the population.
¡°Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA is sheltering almost 1.4 million people in its buildings in Gaza, they have nowhere else to go. These people had sought safety under the flag of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ ¨C the flag that symbolizes our shared humanitarian values. For a Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Agency that has already lost a record 136?staff in this conflict, it would be a major blow to have the country that leads on humanitarian values abruptly withdraw its support.
¡°Hunger, thirst, and disease are tightening their grip inexorably, while relentless bombardments claim ever more civilian victims, and aid deliveries fall far short of the spiraling needs.
¡°Without Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA, the humanitarian operation in Gaza will collapse, with consequences that can extend beyond Gaza, into the region and possibly further.
¡°The result of Monday¡¯s National Council vote will send an important signal to other donor countries about the continued relevance of humanitarian values, and the leadership of Switzerland, my country, in promoting them globally.¡±
Document Sources: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA)
Country: Switzerland
Subject: Casualties, Funding needs, Gaza Strip, Humanitarian relief, Protection of civilians
Publication Date: 17/12/2023
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