WHO chief says banning UNRWA will 'only deepen' suffering of Gazans in need

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief on Thursday reiterated that banning the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) will "only deepen" the suffering of people in Gaza as "no other agency can match" its scale of assistance.

"UNRWA is the largest health provider in Gaza," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X. "With about 1,000 health workers, UNRWA handles over 16,000 medical consultations per day, including for childhood vaccinations, maternal health services, malnutrition screening and mental health support."


"No other agency can match this scale. Banning UNRWA will only deepen the suffering of the people in need of lifesaving care," Tedros said.

His remarks came after UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said Wednesday that the agency is three weeks away from the deadline of the Knesset ban on the UN agency.


"If implemented, the decision will have a disastrous impact on the people we support," Lazzarini said on X, underlining that other UN agencies already acknowledged that "they cannot fill the void" of UNRWA.

He reminded that in the absence of UNRWA, the responsibility to provide assistance to those in need fell on Israel as occupying power.

The Israeli Knesset, or parliament, voted last October to ban UNRWA's operations in areas under Israeli control, citing allegations that some agency employees were involved in the cross-border attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, a charge the agency denies.

If enforced, the ban would lead to the closure of UNRWA's offices and the freezing of its financial accounts in Israel, effectively halting its operations.

Established in 1949, UNRWA has been a vital lifeline for Palestinian refugees, providing services to nearly 5.9 million people across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.