UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, emphasized the severe consequences of discontinuing funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The Qatari PM stressed that halting financial support to the agency could lead to “disastrous repercussions,” underscoring its pivotal role in ensuring regional stability and providing humanitarian relief.The Prime Minister highlighted the indispensable contribution of UNRWA in supporting millions of Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Stopping its funding would have far-reaching, disastrous repercussions, Sheikh Mohammed articulated, pointing out the broader implications of such an action on regional peace and humanitarian conditions. The meeting also saw the participation of Martin Griffiths, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Rosemary DiCarlo, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the international community to replace UNRWA following Israeli allegations that 12 of its staff members participated in the Hamas-led October 7 massacre attack. “The time has come to begin the process of replacing UNRWA with other bodies that are not tainted by support for terrorism,” he stated.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Issues Warning Over Potential “Disastrous Repercussions” of UNRWA Funding Cut
