CSS Current Affairs | Humanitarian Consequences of UNRWA’s diminished capacity in Gaza and the West Bank
The following assignment question for CSS Current Affairs is solved by Bushra Rizwan under the supervision of Howfiv’s Pakistan Affairs and Current Affairs Coaches: Miss Iqra Ali and Sir Ammar Hashmi. She learnt how to attempt 20 marks question and essay writing from Sir Syed Kazim Ali, Pakistan’s best CSS and PMS English essay and precis teacher with the highest success rate of his students. This solved question is attempted on the pattern taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory and optional subjects for years.
Outline
1-Introduction
2-Historical Overview of the Role of UNRWA in Palestine
3-What are the Humanitarian Consequences of UNRWA’s Diminished Capacity in Gaza and the West Bank?
- Loss of basic care, NCD, and maternal services
- Worsened malnutrition, famine risk, and disease
- Erosion of human development gains
4-Why does a Viable Institutional Alternative to UNRWA not Exist for Palestinians?
- UNRWA as the sole agency providing direct aid and welfare infrastructure to Palestinians
- Resilience through funding cuts by Western donors
- Unresolved refugee question leading to failure of UNRWA substitutes
5-Conclusion
Answer to the question
Introduction
Israel-Palestine conflict, which destroyed hospitals, schools, residential areas, and offices, has resulted in the genocide of Palestinians, making them more dependent on aid than ever. At this crucial hour, the aid cuts by Western donors have seriously diminished UNRWA’s aid capacity. This has resulted in the loss of basic care, NCD, and maternal services, worsened malnutrition, famine risk, and disease, and erosion of human development gains. Moreover, there is no viable institutional alternative to UNRWA due to its status as the sole agency that is providing direct aid and welfare infrastructure to Palestinians. Additionally, the unresolved refugee question has led to the failure of its substitutes, and its resilience through funding cuts by Western donors makes replacement by any other aid agency both politically and legally difficult. Consequently, the Palestinian plight has multiplied due to the diminished role of UNRWA, as there is no institutional alternative for this organization.
Historical Overview of the Role of UNRWA in Palestine
UNRWA is a subsidiary organ of the UN, directly under the General Assembly, which is created under Articles 7(2) and 22 of the UN Charter. UNRWA has a special mandate for providing services until a just resolution of Palestinian refugees’ plight takes place. The beneficiaries of UNRWA services include refugees who lost their homes and work in Palestine and fled as a result of the 1948 war. In 1967 and 2006, it expanded the criteria of eligibility for refugees to receive UNRWA services. In January 2016, the Protection Division was created, under which UNRWA now provides child protection, protection against gender-based violence, psychosocial, and humanitarian aid to displaced Palestinians.
What are the Humanitarian Consequences of UNRWA’s diminished Capacity in Gaza and the West Bank?
- Loss of basic care, NCD, and maternal services
In the context of a financial deficit, although UNRWA has continued to provide “relief and works”, the actual services provided have been reduced, and the actual refugees number that are entitled to receive UNRWA services has shrunk over time. UNRWA health care units have reduced from 22 pre-war to 4-10 functioning now, which has resulted in huge overload and shortages. Moreover, neonatal care has suffered a serious blow, which has increased the ratio of infanticide in Gaza and the West Bank. Therefore, the healthcare service provision that is utterly needed during the Gaza war and its aftermath has been affected massively due to UNRWA aid cuts.
- Worsened malnutrition, famine risk, and disease
Since the 1950s, UNRWA has been providing life-saving humanitarian aid to Palestinians in recognized camps, by operating as many as 144 healthcare centers. Yet, despite its life-saving aid for war-affected refugees, the aid cuts to UNRWA have compelled it to fight for its own survival. Non-bloody diarrhea has increased up to 33-39 times, and bloody diarrhea up to 22 times in shelters. Moreover, this decrease in UNRWA capacity has exacerbated loss of life, dignity, and hope. As a result, Gaza and the West Bank are pushed into a greater risk of famine and other life-threatening diseases.
- Erosion of human development gains
Israel has announced a “complete siege of Gaza” in the midst of humanitarian crises. The electricity services and removal of the last functioning seawater desalination plant have raised serious concerns. Moreover, a large number of people require mental health and psychological support, especially in areas like Gaza where the highest number of UNRWA operations have been operating. According to Michael Ryan of WHO, only a trickle of aid is being provided to Palestinians, which is like “a drop in the ocean” that does not meet the requirements of human development there. Moreover, the restrictions on UNRWA have suppressed other healthcare providers and child care workers who were speaking on the matter previously. Thus, human development gains have been eroded due to a reduction in the capacity of UNRWA to carry out social care activities.
Why does a Viable Institutional Alternative to UNRWA not Exist for Palestinians?
- UNRWA as the sole agency providing direct aid and welfare infrastructure to Palestinians
First and foremost, UNRWA is not only a service provider but also a welfare infrastructure that organizes daily life and social protection in refugee communities, which makes replacement harder than substituting one aid contractor for another. Moreover, its service input is substantial: health, education, services, camp improvement, and emergency services are already delivered at large scale with positive reviews from affected communities. According to the Palestinian health report by The Lancet, the UNRWA administers health services to 5.3 million Palestinian refugees through 143 primary health facilities. Therefore, replacing such a large-scale aid programme is not feasible.
- Resilience through funding cuts by Western donors
Second, UNRWA, which depends on funding by UN members, especially Western donors, kept on working despite major aid cuts. Though the magnitude of refugee help reduced, UNRWA refused to completely shut down in the face of international pressure. In response to an aid cut of 300 million dollars by Donald Trump in 2018, UNRWA launched a campaign named “Dignity is Priceless” to protect services for Palestinians. Furthermore, surviving such a large aid cut and still functioning is difficult for a newly formed aid organization. Therefore, the long history, popularity among Palestinians, and resilience in aid services make UNRWA’s replacement difficult.
- Unresolved refugee question leading to failure of UNRWA substitutes
Third, the underlying refugee question is still politically unresolved, due to which no institutional redesign can substitute for a settlement of return, rights, and compensation. In addition, the denial of the right to return by the Israeli state, coupled with the refusal of integration by host Arab states, has amplified the refugee struggle. According to The Lancet, the Lebanese government refuses to give Palestinian basic rights; they are practically invisible in Lebanon. This situation makes host-state absorption practically impossible, leaving UNRWA as the sole shelter provider. Therefore, restricted rights of Palestinians in countries of residence and the transfer from UNRWA have failed, heightening the significance of UNRWA.
Conclusion
In conclusion, UNRWA stands as the most efficient service provider for Palestinians, and its diminished role due to aid cuts has heightened their suffering. Moreover, education, schools, and offices built by UNRWA highlight its role as a social service provider. As a consequence of its reduced role, malnutrition has worsened, and human development gains that were built through years of hard work have been erased. In addition, no viable alternative to UNRWA exists, as it not only provides aid at a massive scale but also shows resilience in its services despite aid cuts. To ensure human rights are delivered to Palestinians, Western donors ought to restore aid channels. Hence, the diminished role of UNRWA has caused severe humanitarian consequences for Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank, as it has become irreplaceable.
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