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Thursday, July 17, 2014 |
UNRWA Strongly Condemns Placement of Rockets in School [Palestinians put rockets in Gaza school] |
UNRWA Strongly Condemns Placement of Rockets in School East Jerusalem Yesterday, in the course of the regular inspection of its premises, UNRWA = discovered approximately 20 rockets hidden in a vacant school in the Gaza = Strip. UNRWA strongly condemns the group or groups responsible for placing = the weapons in one of its installations. This is a flagrant violation of th= inviolability of its premises under international law. This incident, which = is the first of its kind in Gaza, endangered civilians including staff and = put at risk UNRWA=92s vital mission to assist and protect Palestine refugee= in Gaza. Immediately after discovery, the Agency informed the relevant parties and = successfully took all necessary measures for the removal of the objects in = order to preserve the safety and security of the school. UNRWA has launched = a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding this = incident. UNRWA has strong, established procedures to maintain the neutrality of all = its premises, including a strict no-weapons policy and routine inspections = of its installations, to ensure they are only used for humanitarian = purposes. UNRWA will uphold and further reinforce its procedures. Palestinian civilians in Gaza rely on UNRWA to provide humanitarian = assistance and shelter. At all times, and especially during escalations of = violence, the sanctity and integrity of UN installations must be respected. Background Information UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 194= and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of som= 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine = refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve = their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their = plight. UNRWA=92s services encompass education, health care, relief and soc= services, camp infrastructure and improvement, and microfinance. Financial support to UNRWA has not kept pace with an increased demand for = services caused by growing numbers of registered refugees, expanding need, = and deepening poverty. As a result, the Agency's General Fund (GF), = supporting UNRWA=92s core activities and 97 per cent reliant on voluntary = contributions, has begun each year with a large projected deficit. Currentl= the deficit stands at US$ 69 million. For more information, please contact: Christopher Gunness Sami Mshasha ________________________________________ Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on A= Website: www.imra.org.il For free regular subscription: For free daily digest subscription: IMRA is now also on Twitter |
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