jordan pulse -

PLO Executive Committee Member and Head of the Department of Refugee Affairs, Ahmad Abu Houli, called for translating international political statements supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) into concrete financial and political commitments that ensure the protection of its mandate and uninterrupted operations.
Abu Houli emphasized that international affirmations safeguarding the agency’s mandate and rejecting any alternative mechanisms represent a clear political statement against ongoing attempts to undermine UNRWA’s role and dismantle the Palestinian refugee cause.
His remarks followed a welcoming of the political positions expressed by participating nations at the ministerial-level Pledging Conference for Major UNRWA Donors, held in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, co-chaired by Jordan, Spain, and Brazil.
Abu Houli praised the contributions from France and Germany, which announced additional funding for UNRWA. He commended France’s 15 million euro pledge and Germany’s supplementary 20 million euro allocation—comprising 10 million euros for infrastructure rehabilitation and 10 million euros to support humanitarian operations across Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
He noted that these contributions demonstrate a practical commitment to sustaining the agency’s operational capacity, urging other donor nations to follow suit, fulfill their financial pledges, and increase contributions to bridge UNRWA’s estimated $100 million budget deficit, secure multi-year funding, and safeguard its UN mandate.
Furthermore, he commended the positions expressed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and participating Arab and international delegations, who underscored the necessity of enabling UNRWA to carry out its mandate under UN General Assembly resolutions, protecting its personnel and facilities, and rejecting any transfer of its responsibilities to host countries or other entities.
Abu Houli affirmed that the conference outcomes demonstrate that UNRWA is not merely a humanitarian service provider, but a embodiment of international responsibility toward Palestinian refugees, whose mandate remains intrinsically linked to their cause until a just and comprehensive solution is achieved in accordance with international legitimacy, particularly UN Resolution 194.
He stressed that persistent financial deficits directly impact the lives of millions of Palestinian refugees and threaten the stability of refugee camps and host communities, warning that service reductions or mandate transfers compromise refugee rights.
Abu Houli welcomed international consensus regarding UNRWA's central role in humanitarian response, recovery, and reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip, stating that the agency must not be excluded from any post-conflict arrangements given its operational infrastructure and institutional expertise.
He called on the international community and the United Nations to take practical measures ensuring respect for the immunity of UNRWA installations, safeguarding its staff, halting restrictions on its operations, securing unhindered humanitarian access, and holding the occupation accountable for violations of international law.
Abu Houli concluded by noting that internal administrative or financial reforms within UNRWA must focus strictly on enhancing efficiency and operational sustainability, rather than serving as a pretext to curtail its mandate or compromise refugee rights, reiterating that protecting UNRWA directly safeguards the national cause of Palestinian refugees.