UNRWA’s mandate will end only when refugee plight solved — official

AMMAN — Jordan rejects any suggestion to dismantle the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Yasin Abu Awwad, director general of the Department of Palestinian Affairs, said on Tuesday.

"UNRWA will continue its operations and providing services to the Palestinian refugees until the Palestinian issue is resolved in line with UN Resolution 194," Abu Awwad told The Jordan Times over the phone on Tuesday. 

Resolution 194, passed in 1948 by the UN General Assembly on the Palestinian issue, "resolves that refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return... ."

Abu Awwad made the remarks following a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that called for shutting down UNRWA.

"These statements are totally rejected. UNRWA was created upon a UN decision and no entity can affect its presence," said the official whose department provides services to meet the needs of Palestinian refugee camps communities in the Kingdom.

UNRWA was established by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 302 (IV) of December 8, 1949, to carry out direct relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees. The agency began operations on May 1, 1950, according to the agency's website.

"UNRWA is there to remain until the issue of refugees is resolved and it will continue to provide its services in fields of health, education and social relief to more than 5 million registered Palestinian refugees, " he reiterated. Of the total, around 2 million are in Jordan.

He stressed Jordan’s rejection of any attempts by any entity or donor country to reduce its support to the agency, adding that UNRWA’s operations in Jordan were ongoing as usual.

Abu Awwad urged the donor countries to honour their commitments to UNRWA so it continues to provide services to the Palestinian refugees.

Last week, US President Donald Trump pledged to block millions of dollars of funding for the Palestinians.  Much of that aid flows through UNRWA for Palestinian refugees.

Trump made the announcement after the Palestinian Authority rejected his decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announced that the US is no longer welcome as a peace broker.

UNRWA said Tuesday that it had received no official notification of any US aid cut and reports quoted American officials as denying there had been any.