By Harriet Tornguvan -Abuja
Despite international opposition to its illegal move, the Israeli Knesset approved a bill to end UNRWA's activity in the occupied West bank including East Jerusalem and Gaza strip.
The ambassador to the state of Palestine to Nigeria Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh, made this statement while addressing the media on thursday in Abuja, he said
"This decision will deepen the suffering and misery of millions of Palestinian refugees specially in Gaza. It will also deprive nearly 650,000 students of their right to education in Gaza alone.
The Ambassador said, the state of the country will affect UNRWA “employing 30,000 Palestinians, it serves almost 6 million refugees, including in Gaza where 1,476,706 Palestinians are registered as refugees in eight Palestinian refugee camps, while in the West Bank 800,000 are registered.”
Additionally he said, the bill does not revoke the refugee status of Palestinians, as it is safeguarded by UNGA resolutions and many other international law instruments until their right to return is acknowledged and the question of Palestinian refugees is resolved by implementing UN Resolution 194.
Feathermore he added that on the 391st day of the US-Israeli heinous, malicious, and vindictive genocide, here are some statistical figures, The death toll has risen to 43,163, with 101,510 injured.
"As of October 30, for the 24th day in a row, the northern Gaza Strip has been completely cut off from the rest of the enclave, under a total siege with no access to humanitarian aid, medical assistance, supplies, water, and other basic necessities for life.
"This has led to nearly 1000 martyrs, tens of missing persons and thousands injured, in addition to hundreds of homes being completely razed.
He implies that the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that more than 60,000 people have been displaced in northern Gaza in October alone.
Also UNICEF estimates that at least 19,000 children have been separated from their families, forced to fend for themselves.
"Children are being medically evacuated from Gaza at a rate of fewer than one child per day. If this lethally slow pace continues, it would take more than seven years to evacuate the 2,500 children needing urgent medical care.
He stated that as of October 28, the total number of arrests has reached 11,500 in the Occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem. This includes 430 women, 750 children, and 132 journalists, with 59 of them still under arrest, including 6 women journalists and 31 journalists from Gaza.
More than 9,392 administrative detainees have been reported. 41 prisoners were martyred, and their bodies are still being held captive. In Gaza only, at least 232 UNRWA staff have been killed. Over 200 UNRWA premises have been damaged or destroyed.“
Shawesh said on the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attack, a survey published by the Israel Democracy Institute found that only 6% of Israelis think the war in Gaza should be stopped due to “the great cost in human life.”
On the adapted Transforming of our world, the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. The international community raised a brilliant slogan called “We pledge that no one will be left behind.” he said.
