UNRWA faces possible shutdown: Security Council to meet Friday at Algeria's request

ALGIERS — Algeria has called for a UN Security Council meeting this Friday in a bid to “save” the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which faces an imminent threat of being barred from operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

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Algeria, maintaining that UNRWA is “irreplaceable,” called last Friday for closed-door Security Council consultations on January 17 (Friday at 10 AM) to address the dire situation facing the UN agency.

Algeria also has asked UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini to brief Council members on the challenges his organization is facing amid the ongoing genocidal Zionist aggression in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza, since October 2023, including the imminent threats to terminate its operations.

“We hope to achieve consensus that ensures UNRWA can continue its work on behalf of the UN General Assembly and for the Palestinian people,” stated Algeria's permanent representative to the United Nations, Amar Bendjama, in early January while announcing this month's meeting about UNRWA.

“From Algeria's perspective, UNRWA is irreplaceable and must maintain its operations” to provide essential aid to Palestinians, he underscored, particularly given the urgent needs of Gaza's population.

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