UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine, has never been more needed. And it has never been more vulnerable.
Since October 7, UNRWA’s activities in Gaza have come under fire from the Netanyahu government, which accuses it of being infiltrated by Hamas and supporting terrorism. At the end of January, following accusations made by the Israeli government, 12 collaborators were dismissed and six countries, including the USA and Germany, suspended their funding. If more money can’t be found, UNRWA would have to halt all its activities in the Gaza Strip by the end of March.
This report documents the race against time of Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of UNWRA, who has 30 days to convince and find the funding that will enable him to finance the activities of his 33,000-strong staff so that he can pay their salaries for April, and who must respond to the serious criticism of Israel that is coming in daily. We follow him to Amman, Jerusalem, Ramallah, New York, Geneva, Bern and Gaza.