Mr. President,

Excellencies,  

I would like to thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this conference.

I am also grateful to the Secretary-General for his presence and strong support to UNRWA at an exceptionally challenging time.

When we met for the pledging conference last June, no one could have foreseen the tragedy that would engulf Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.

Palestinians and Israelis have experienced terrible losses and immense suffering.

Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations,

Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

As President of the General Assembly, I have consistently emphasized that the work and impact of the United Nations extends far beyond the physical confines of our headquarters in New York.

From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter)

Thank you.

An impressive show of solidarity and support of 118 member states including all members of the UN Security Council. 

It comes at a critical time as @UNRWA  undergoes unprecedented attacks and systematic attempts to dismantle it. 

Visiting the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis yesterday, I witnessed some of the most horrific scenes I have seen in my nine months in Gaza. This overstretched health facility admitted well over 100 of yesterday’s severe injuries. With not enough beds, hygiene equipment, sheeting, or scrubs, many patients were treated on the ground without disinfectants. Ventilation systems were switched off due to a lack of electricity and fuel, and the air was filled with the smell of blood.

From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter)

#Gaza

Another day.

Another month.

Another school hit.

Once again, @UNRWA  school hit by the Israeli Forces.

The school, in the Middle Areas, was home to nearly 2,000 internally displaced, dozens of casualties were reported.

Since the war began, nine months ago today:

- More than half (or 190) of @UNRWA

 facilities have been hit, some multiple times, some directly.

JERUSALEM, 5th July 2024- As the European Gaza Hospital has shut down due to new evacuation orders, Nasser Hospital, the last comprehensive hospital in south Gaza, risks being overwhelmed with mass casualties and wounded patients, warns Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Meanwhile, MSF teams working in the hospital are seeing acute shortages of medical supplies, leaving patients at risk of losing vital healthcare.

Since the horrifying war on Gaza began, at least 38,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, have been killed and 87,000 others have been injured. For those who have managed to survive the relentless onslaught of bomb blasts, shelling and gunfire, staying alive has meant moving continually from place to place with whatever basic items they can manage to carry. However, testimonies from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff and patients, collected over the past nine months, clearly show that nowhere is safe in Gaza.

As the war in Gaza rages, causing unprecedented death and destruction, telling its story is a moral imperative. Preserving images from Gaza matters more than ever. Not just to document the spiraling humanitarian tragedy right now but also to preserve it for posterity.