Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, has warned that the agency’s collapse would deprive a generation of Palestinian children of education, risking further extremism. He stated the agency faces “real danger” of collapse due to its financial crisis, adding, “We will sacrifice a generation deprived of proper education.

” For over 70 years, UNRWA has been a lifeline for six million Palestinian refugees, providing education, healthcare, and humanitarian aid across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. Lazzarini stressed that without UNRWA, Palestinian institutions alone cannot fill the void, especially as Israel pushes for other organisations to take responsibility in Gaza.

Lazzarini warned that depriving 100,000 children in Gaza of education would deepen instability, calling schools amid rubble “places of despair.” He emphasised that denying children a future sows “seeds of further extremism,” highlighting the broader consequences of UNRWA’s potential collapse.

The agency faces unprecedented pressure after donor countries suspended funding over Israeli allegations of staff involvement in the October 7, 2023 attack. Israel has also banned UNRWA from operating in the West Bank and Gaza, further crippling its ability to serve refugees. For Palestinians, UNRWA’s collapse would mean losing not just aid but hope for a better future.