Philippe Lazzarini, chief of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), sounded the alarm Thursday over the agency's fragile funding situation, warning that its collapse could deprive an entire generation of Palestinian children of education, fostering conditions for more extremism.
Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Lazzarini highlighted the agency’s role in providing vital services such as education, health care and aid to nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
Describing UNRWA as "a lifeline," he stressed that its collapse would leave children without the opportunity for education, a situation he called “a recipe for disaster.”
"For more than 70 years, UNRWA has been crucial in providing these services," Lazzarini said. "If we fail, we sacrifice a generation of kids who will be deprived of a future and education, and that breeds extremism."
The agency has faced intense criticism, especially after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas incursion on southern Israel, which ignited the latest horrors in Gaza.
Allegations that some UNRWA staff may have been involved in the attack prompted several countries to suspend their support, worsening the already dire funding crisis.
In response, Israel severed ties with UNRWA earlier this year, banning the agency from operating within Israeli territory while still permitting its work in Gaza and the West Bank.
Lazzarini acknowledged that other U.N. agencies and NGOs could deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, such as food and medical supplies, but emphasized that no one else could replace UNRWA’s role in providing government-like services.
“If the goal is just to get trucks into Gaza, then yes, others can step in," he said. "But education, health care, and public services go far beyond that."
Highlighting the critical nature of education, Lazzarini warned that denying children education – especially in war-torn Gaza – would have disastrous long-term effects.
"Without education, all these children face is despair," he said. "This will breed extremism. It’s a cycle that must be broken."
