Kuwait’s UN Ambassador Emphasizes Importance of UNRWA for Palestinian Refugees

UNITED NATIONS: Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Tareq Al-Banai, has stressed the critical role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in supporting millions of Palestinian refugees across the region and in occupied Palestine. The statement was made during a press conference held at the UN headquarters, where 123 nations expressed their continued support for the agency. According to Kuwait News Agency, this display of international backing follows an initiative launched by Kuwait, Jordan, and Slovenia in May to bolster support for UNRWA. Ambassador Al-Banai emphasized the global commitment to the agency and cautioned against the potential severe repercussions if UNRWA's operations and responsibilities towards Palestinians were to be suspended. Jordan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Mahmoud Hmoud, also voiced his support, underscoring that there is no substitute for UNRWA, which has been instrumental fo r generations of Palestinian refugees. He criticized efforts by the Israeli occupation to obstruct the agency's work, including a recent legislative move in the Israeli Knesset aimed at banning UNRWA's mission in occupied Palestine. Ambassador Hmoud commended the findings of an independent review committee on UNRWA, praising the agency's commitment to implementing the recommended measures. Similarly, the Permanent Palestinian Representative to the UN, Riyad Mansour, praised UNRWA as a successful model of multifaceted UN cooperation and vowed to protect the agency based on resolution 194, which calls for the right of return for refugees and compensation for those who choose not to return.