FALCON POWERS – UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazarini announced on Tuesday that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees is now facing a “triple crisis” since Israel began launching intensive airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. This escalation has added to the already heavy burdens imposed on the agency due to the war in Gaza and the situation in the occupied West Bank.
In an interview with AFP on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lazarini stated, “We already have Gaza, we already have the West Bank, so we have two operational theaters that have become active frontlines,” and now “we also have Lebanon.”
Established in 1949, UNRWA provides a range of services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, including education and healthcare.
Lazarini expressed regret that his agency, already suffering from severe financial shortfalls, is now under additional pressure due to the current escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.
He explained that the heavy Israeli bombardment Lebanon has faced since Monday has turned the country into a “third active operational area,” in addition to Gaza and the West Bank.
“This means that three operational areas will become humanitarian emergencies,” he described the situation as a “triple tragedy.”
In response to the intense Israeli airstrikes, UNRWA has suspended some of its operations in Lebanon, converting some of its schools into shelters for hundreds of Lebanese displaced from the south, where airstrikes are concentrated.
On Tuesday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib announced that the number of Lebanese displaced due to the current escalation between Israel and Hezbollah “is approaching half a million.”
In his interview with AFP, Lazarini stated, “The fear is that we are heading toward a full-scale war. There is another concern that parts of Lebanon could become like Gaza.”
He added that Lebanon becoming a new operational area for UNRWA “will put even greater pressure on us. Needs will increase, and we will also need more support from donors.”
