Palestinian UN Ambassador: no alternative to UNRWA
Riyad Mansour says Palestinian leadership welcomes Biden鈥檚 port plan but aid via land is vital
The Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations has told HARDtalk that 鈥渢he Palestinian leadership welcome assistance to our people in all parts of Gaza, in any way possible鈥�.
Riyad Mansour was asked by Stephen Sackur about President Joe Biden鈥檚 initiatives to deliver aid via airlifts and a temporary port.
The Ambassador said that such initiatives should 鈥渘ot allow Prime Minister Netanyahu to try to show that there is an alternative to UNRWA鈥�. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency has long been responsible for delivering aid in Gaza, but some countries halted funding following allegations in January that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7th attack on Israel. Within days, UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said an investigation was being carried out, and "to protect the agency's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance" these staff members had been sacked.
Ambassador Mansour, the top Palestinian diplomat at the UN since 2005, said that 鈥渢here is no alternative to UNRWA鈥� because they have the 鈥渆xperience鈥� of working in Gaza. He said the UN agency had 鈥�13,000 employees who are part of the Palestinian people鈥� and are capable of distributing humanitarian assistance 鈥渋n a very efficient and effective way鈥�. Citing CIA Director William J. Burns, he said that it would not be possible to distribute the amount of aid required 鈥渨ithout a ceasefire鈥� and said that deliveries via trucks were essential because 鈥測ou cannot address the acute starvation鈥ithout having a massive amount of aid through land crossings鈥�.
