Protesters outside the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Saida, March 26, 2023. (Photo provided by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah)
Institutions of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in South Lebanon have announced a general strike after the agency suspended an employee for "violating its rules."
According to L'Orient-Le Jour's correspondent in South Lebanon, UNRWA institutions, particularly educational ones, observed a general strike in Saida, with the exception of health establishments. UNRWA offices were also closed in Saida, Ain al-Hilweh and Mieh w Mieh in response to an appeal by Palestinian factions and refugees from these camps. At issue: The suspension of Fateh Charif, a UNRWA employee known for his support of the Palestinian cause.
A dozen demonstrators also held a sit-in in solidarity with the dismissed employee this morning in front of the organization's headquarters in Saida, according to L'Orient-Le Jour's correspondent.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, UNRWA said that one of its workers had been "placed on unpaid administrative leave for three months," pending an investigation by the agency's internal control services. It also said that the measure was taken following reports of "alleged activities by the staff member that violate the agency's regulatory framework."
An UNRWA source told our publication on Saturday that the employee had been suspended for an "alleged violation" of the agency's rules. Workers within the agency accused the UN of suspending the employee for his political stance on the Gaza war.
While recognizing the right of its staff to "express their personal opinions and beliefs," UNRWA said that by accepting an appointment as a staff member, the employee "undertakes to perform his duties and conduct himself in accordance with the principles and policies of the United Nations."
This announcement comes a few weeks after the UN dismissed 12 staff members implicated by Israel for their alleged involvement in the Hamas attack in Gaza on Oct. 7. Several countries suspended their aid to UNRWA following the Israeli accusations, but some have since resumed funding.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.