ABU DHABI — Supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is crucial for consolidating security and stability in the region, said UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
He made this statement during his meeting in Abu Dhabi with Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, where they discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and their humanitarian implications.
The meeting addressed ways to meet the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip, and the efforts to deliver relief and medical aid to civilians.
During the meeting, the UAE’s top diplomat reiterated the UAE’s steadfast support for UNRWA, emphasizing that in light of current challenges, sustaining its humanitarian efforts has become an urgent priority. This requires collective efforts from the international community to support the agency and all UN efforts to provide relief to the Palestinian people.
He also expressed his appreciation for the UN and UNRWA’s prompt action to investigate allegations made against several individuals, stressing that this step reflects the agency’s strong commitment to UN values and its noble humanitarian goals.
Sheikh Abdullah repeated the call to donor countries that have suspended their funding to UNRWA to reconsider their decision.
He affirmed that UNRWA plays an essential role in alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially those in the Gaza Strip, adding that the UAE is eager to support its humanitarian efforts.
The UAE foreign minister also emphasized that ending extremism, tensions, and violence in the region and achieving a lasting ceasefire is the path to ensuring the protection of all civilians, preventing further loss of life, and providing the necessary humanitarian support to the Palestinian people.
The meeting was attended by Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs and the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.