‘We cannot allow UNRWA to collapse,’ says Spanish foreign minister

WASHINGTON

Spain’s foreign minister said Madrid’s support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is and will remain “unwavering,” stressing that there is “no alternative” to the agency.

Speaking at a press conference at UN headquarters alongside UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman H. Safadi, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain has contributed over €60 million (about $65 million) since late 2023 and pledged an additional €10 million (about $10.8 million), bringing its total assistance for Palestinians to €150 million (about $162 million) by 2026.

“Mobilization of much-needed funds is right now the priority for all of us. We cannot allow, we cannot afford, UNRWA to collapse,” he said.

“UNRWA must come out reinforced from today’s meeting. There is no alternative,” he added, noting that millions of Palestinians depend on the agency’s ability to operate on the ground.

“Spain will continue to strongly condemn all targeted attacks aimed at humanitarian workers and their facilities,” he stressed.

UNRWA, founded in the aftermath of the 1948 Palestinian Nakba, also known as Catastrophe, provides aid to approximately 5.9 million Palestinians across five main regions: Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

Israel has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians in a brutal offensive in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.