Future of refugee services in Gaza raises concern as UNRWA's role declines

The article examines concerns about UNRWA's declining role in Gaza after its exclusion from coordination meetings for reconstruction, warning of a gradual reduction of its responsibilities and transfer of its services to other parties without a ready alternative. It conveys warnings from economic experts about the loss of an integrated services system in health, education, and relief, while emphasizing the need to separate the future of services from the refugee issue and their rights.

The article examines concerns about the declining role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip, after its exclusion from some coordination meetings related to early recovery and reconstruction. It indicates that the repetition of this exclusion could open the door to a gradual reduction of its responsibilities and the transfer of its services to other parties, without clarity regarding the readiness of an alternative. Economic expert Dr. Samir al-Daqran warns that marginalizing UNRWA could lead to the loss of an integrated system of services in health, education, relief, water, and sanitation, describing the danger as potentially taking the form of a "gradual liquidation" of its role. The article also conveys warnings from economics specialist Khaled Abu Amer that a rapid transition without clear arrangements could lead to a vacuum in services, and stresses the need to separate the future of services from the refugee issue and their rights. The article mentions that UNRWA was established in 1949 and operates in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, and faces increasing Israeli restrictions including legislation targeting its work and preventing its international staff from entering Palestinian territories.