Member of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), Jamal AlKhudari, warned that cutting relief services for Palestinian refugees puts the lives of millions of refugees at serious risk.

Commenting on UNRWA’s financial crisis, Khudari said the UN Agency should keep up its vital relief services for millions of Palestine refugees who have been struggling with severe economic hardship and loss of livelihoods.

Khudari, also head of the popular anti-siege committee, said any attempt to delegitimize UNRWA’s mission or curtail its services amounts to an act of mass death sentence against millions of refugees.

The Palestinian MP stressed the need for the international community and donor partners to assist UNRWA at such a critical time, saying the fact that UNGA officially greenlighted the renewal of the Agency’s term of office for another three years should result in sense of “financial security” for Palestine refugees.

Last week, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nikolay Mladenov, said UNRWA has been undergoing serious difficulties which might affect its relief services for Palestinian refugees.

Briefing the UN Security Council (UNSCO) on the situation in the Middle East, Mladenov reminded the Council that UNRWA continues to face major financial challenges.

“Without further financial support, critical services in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, will be suspended as of late April”, he warned. “This would result in serious humanitarian repercussions, particularly for some of the most acutely vulnerable communities, among them female-headed households below the poverty line.”

Mladenov urged UN member states to continue supporting UNRWA’s core programs in order ensure the Agency remains operational beyond April.