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Palestinians fear the end of UNRWA's mandate

The Middle East Monitor reported, the Palestinian National Council (PNC) warned on Sunday (Apr 24) that the mandate of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) may be about to be ended.
The head of PNC's Political Committee, Saleh Nasser, claimed that recent comments by Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini about the agency increasing its partnerships with other UN bodies "is a prelude to donors stopping their funding for UNRWA."
Lazzarini's message, according to Saleh, has raised fears among the Palestinians that UNRWA is going to abandon its responsibilities due to its chronic budget deficit.
Lazzarinie xplained: "The painful reality is that in the last ten years, and despite immense outreach and fundraising efforts, the resources available to UNRWA have stagnated, while the needs of Palestine refugees and cost of operations keep increasing. UNRWA has increasingly been exposed to domestic politics in some of its traditional donor countries."
Palestine refugee children hope to celebrate #Ramadan in peace, eating their favourite meals with family and friends.
— UNRWA Europe 🇺🇳 (@UNRWA_EU) April 25, 2022
By giving to @UNRWA, you can help provide food & cash assistance to support children in Gaza.
▶ https://t.co/iF6RJCHCe8
Watch the video, hear their voices 👇 pic.twitter.com/JUGDfntrmb
The UN official added that, "Coordinated campaigns by organisations that aim to delegitimise and defund the agency and erode the rights of Palestine refugees have increased in frequency and aggression."
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It is well known that Israel has been lobbying hard to have UNRWA closed down as it is the only UN agency to have a specific mandate to look after the basic needs of Palestinian refugees.
If the agency no longer exists, argues Israel, then the refugee issue must no longer exist, and the legitimate right for Palestinian refugees to return to their land will be unnecessary.
Israel has denied that right of return since the late 1940s, even though its own membership of the UN was made conditional upon Palestinian refugees being allowed to return to their homes and land.
New diplomatic push to prevent violence in Palestine during Ramadan
Incredibly, UNRWA depends almost entirely on voluntary donations from UN member states, making it extremely vulnerable to pro-Israel lobby groups which are influential in various key capitals.
Source: middleeastmonitor
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Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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