New York [US], December 7 (ANI): India voted in favour at the United Nations General Assembly to renew the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) for the next three years.
The resolution on “Assistance to Palestine refugees” was approved with 151 votes in favour, 10 against and 14 abstentions.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini welcomed the result, saying he “saluted the overwhelming vote” and that it “reflects the broad solidarity of people across the world with Palestine Refugees.” He added the outcome acknowledges the international community’s responsibility to support the humanitarian and human development needs of Palestine refugees pending a just and lasting solution to their decades-long plight.
Lazzarini also urged that the vote be matched by a genuine commitment and adequate resources to ensure the mandate is implemented.
According to UNRWA, the agency helps Palestine refugees realise their potential through services in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance.
Israel has opposed the organisation, accusing it of facilitating Hamas’s military buildup.
Countries voting against the renewal included Argentina, Fiji, Hungary, North Macedonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga and the United States, alongside Israel; 14 other nations abstained.
Last month, Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein alleged that two Hamas operatives, Ashraf Mahd El Madhoun and Mohammed Ibrahim Abd Ghafour, had been among individuals who worked for UNRWA. (ANI)
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