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PALESTINE

Palestinians protest for UNRWA to push for right of return

Palestinians protest for UNRWA to push for right of return

Protesters call for UNRWA to focus on the right of return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland. (Courtesy of Muntasser Abdallah)

BEIRUT — Dozens of Palestinians protested Tuesday in front of Movenpick hotel in Beirut, to call on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, to "assume its responsibilities and work for the right of return," as Commissioner-General of the agency, Philippe Lazzarini, and Chairman of the Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee (LPDC) Bassel al-Hassan held a joint press conference to tackle the latest developments regarding UNRWA.

Here’s what we know:

    • Palestinian flags were waved, and placards calling on UNRWA to continue its work which guarantees "stability in the region."

    • "The only alternative to UNRWA is the right of return for Palestinian refugees," read some of the banners.

    • Several spokespersons gave speeches urging the agency to "assume its responsibilities and work for the right of return."

    • UNRWA plans to delegate certain services to other agencies, to cope with the decline in financial donations, provoking the indignation of the Palestinians who see in this project a disengagement of the international community towards them.

    • The annual budget of UNRWA, which has 30,000 employees, is around $1.6 billion, which makes it possible to provide basic services like education and healthcare, allowing it to fulfill its duty of providing important services such as education, health and food to 5.7 million Palestine refugees in Gaza, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

    • The Trump administration had cut major US funding to UNRWA in 2018, at around $300 million, which the current US President’s administration later partially restored.  

BEIRUT — Dozens of Palestinians protested Tuesday in front of Movenpick hotel in Beirut, to call on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, to "assume its responsibilities and work for the right of return," as Commissioner-General of the agency, Philippe Lazzarini, and Chairman of the Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee (LPDC) Bassel al-Hassan held a joint...