Statement on media reports related to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

December 13, 2024

In response to recent media reports on the UN Development Programme (UNDP)’s role in Gaza, UNDP emphasises that the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is indispensable and irreplaceable.

UNDP further reaffirms the statement of UN Secretary-General António Guterres that “UNRWA is the principal means by which essential assistance is supplied to Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. There is no alternative to UNRWA.”

This position has been also emphasised in numerous public statements including most recently in a statement by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Principals.

UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People is mandated by the UN General Assembly to work across the occupied Palestinian territory “to improve the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people by identifying their social and economic needs and by establishing concrete projects to that end.”

Based on our presence and experience, we are currently contributing to the UN’s humanitarian response in Gaza to address critical needs in close coordination with our partners and sister UN agencies, including UNRWA, in line with our mandate.

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