WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator George Helmy (D-NJ) today issued the following statement in response to Israel’s ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) operations in Gaza and the West Bank:
“Having just returned from the region and seeing and hearing firsthand the imminent need for additional relief in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, I join the United Nations Security Council in expressing grave concern over Israel’s ban on UNRWA operations in Gaza and the West Bank. I strongly support the Council’s assessment on the devastating and permanent impact such a ban would have on the ongoing, horrific humanitarian crisis and on neighboring allies like the Kingdom of Jordan – one of our major allies in the region that continues to provide life-saving assistance to the Palestinian people.
“This week, I met with UNRWA’s Deputy Commissioner-General, Antonia DeMeo, in Amman, Jordan to discuss the latest developments on the humanitarian situation for their mission. Let me be clear: UNRWA is the sole humanitarian agency that has the capacity, mandate, and manpower to immediately serve the millions of innocent civilians who are in dire need of humanitarian aid and protection. There is currently no organization that can substitute UNRWA. The United States must continue to support the organization and funding for humanitarian assistance in order to ensure that we can immediately respond to the growing human costs in the region as a result of this conflict. We already have a “lost generation” in Gaza and the West Bank and cannot afford further regional destabilization.
“The passage of the UNRWA bills sets a dangerous precedent of rejecting multilateral missions backed by the UN that are serving urgent, life-saving missions in the Middle East as we speak.
“There can be no sustainable path to peace in the Middle East without genuine, lasting safety and security for the women, children, and families who desire nothing more than to live a life free of bloodshed and war.”
To view photos from Senator Helmy’s visit to the UNRWA offices and warehouses in Jordan, click here.