Philippe Lazzarini

235,000 Palestinians affected by ‘man-made’ consequences of winter in Gaza: UNRWA chief

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Displaced Palestinians, staying in makeshift tents, struggle to survive under harsh conditions as rain and severe storms affect the Nuseirat Refugee Camp of Deir al-Balah, Gaza on December 27, 2025. [Moiz Salhi – Anadolu Agency]

At least 235,000 people have been affected by a “man-made” crisis in Gaza after low-pressure weather systems hit the war-ravaged enclave, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Monday, Anadolu reports.

“Months of war and displacement forced people in Gaza to live amid collapsing ruins in makeshift shelters or in flimsy tents,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on the US social media company X.

“While Storm Byron that struck Gaza on December 10 was a natural hazard, its consequences are man-made,” Lazzarini stressed.

Heavy rains and strong winds triggered by low-pressure weather systems caused the collapse of 17 buildings and the full or partial damage of more than 42,000 tents or makeshift shelters and affected at least 235,000 people between Dec. 10 and 17, Lazzarini said, citing data by the Shelter Cluster in Gaza.

READ: Harsh winter in Gaza deepens suffering after more than 2 years of Israeli war: UN agency

A new wave of weather depression has been battering Gaza since the weekend, causing the death of two people and the uprooting of tens of thousands of tents, according to civil defense.

Weather conditions pose great danger to displaced Palestinians who are living in worn-out tents or severely damaged high-risk buildings, which have been under repeated Israeli strikes since October 2023.

The Israeli army has killed more than 71,200 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,200 others since October 2023 in Gaza in a brutal assault that also left the enclave in ruins.

Despite a ceasefire that took effect in Gaza on Oct. 10, Israel still closes the territory’s crossings and prevents the entry of mobile homes and reconstruction materials, worsening the plight of nearly 2.4 million people in the enclave.

READ: Gaza health official says miscarriages surge as births fall by 40%

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn't bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn’t bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.

Continue Reading235,000 Palestinians affected by ‘man-made’ consequences of winter in Gaza: UNRWA chief

UN General Assembly renews mandate of UN agency for Palestinian refugees for 3 years

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Palestinians held a solidarity demonstration with the participation of national and Islamic groups and local community leaders in support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees on November 4, 2025, in Khan Yunis, Gaza. [Abed Rahim Khatib – Anadolu Agency]

The UN General Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Anadolu reports.

During a vote held at the General Assembly, the resolution received 151 votes in favor, 10 against, and 14 abstentions.

Welcoming the decision to renew its mandate, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on US social media company X that the decision “reflects the broad solidarity of people across the world with Palestine Refugees.”

“It is also an acknowledgement of the international community’s responsibility to support the humanitarian + human development needs of Palestinian refugees pending a just & lasting solution to their decades-long plight,” he said.

Lazzarini also urged that the decision “be translated into a genuine commitment & matching resources to ensure the mandate is fulfilled.”

UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly more than 70 years ago to assist Palestinians who were forcibly displaced from their land.

The UN agency has been facing severe financial difficulties since Israel launched a defamation campaign against UNRWA, claiming that staff members were involved in the Oct. 7 attacks.

Despite UNRWA’s requests that the Israeli government provide information and evidence to back up the allegations, the agency has received no response. Following Israel’s accusations, several key donor nations, including the US, suspended or paused funding.

READ: EU lawmakers urge foreign policy chief to ‘end complicity in genocide’ against Palestinians

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.

Continue ReadingUN General Assembly renews mandate of UN agency for Palestinian refugees for 3 years

UNRWA launches online education for 300,000 children in Gaza under ‘Back to Learning’ programme

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The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini holds a press conference at the UN headquarters on September 25, 2025, in New York City, USA. [Selçuk Acar – Anadolu Agency]

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, announced on Tuesday that the agency has begun offering online lessons aimed at reaching around 300,000 children in the Gaza Strip.

Lazzarini explained that UNRWA is expanding its Back to Learning programme in Gaza through a combination of online and in-person education, despite the difficult humanitarian conditions in the territory.

He noted that “more than 25,000 children have now joined our ‘Temporary Learning Spaces’,” stressing, “We will continue increasing the number of such locations.”

Lazzarini emphasised that “literacy and education serve as an antidote to despair and trauma” experienced by children in Gaza.

He praised the efforts of thousands of UNRWA teachers and staff who continue their work despite daily challenges.

He added that the continuation of these programmes reflects UNRWA’s success in fulfilling its humanitarian and developmental mission towards Palestinian refugees under the most difficult circumstances.

READ: UN ‘extremely’ concerned over reports of Israeli premier’s order to strike Gaza despite ceasefire

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Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingUNRWA launches online education for 300,000 children in Gaza under ‘Back to Learning’ programme

UNRWA chief: Denial of famine in Gaza is part of deliberate disinformation campaign

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Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) holds a press conference in Berlin, Germany on October 16, 2024 [Halil Sağırkaya – Anadolu Agency]

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, said on Thursday that Gaza has become a battleground of a fierce and rampant information war.

Lazzarini stressed that, “Dis-information continues to be used as a tool to distract from the atrocities in the war-torn enclave

On the UNRWA official site, Lazzarini explained that “UNRWA was the first to be targeted, followed by other UN agencies, media outlets, and health institutions”.

He noted that the latest example was the denial of famine in Gaza and the disregard of the findings of the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which concluded this week that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians. 

According to Lazzarini, such denial aims at “undermining world experts’ assessments, analysis and at promoting narratives denying atrocities and dehumanizing Palestinians.”

Praising the resilience of reporters, he said: “Meanwhile, the heroic work of Palestinian journalists continues against all odds, as Israel’s military operations expand.”

Since 7 October 2023, Israeli forces, with direct support from the United States and other Western countries, have been waging a destructive war in Gaza. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the territory, the offensive has so far killed and injured around 231,000 Palestinians.

READ: EU moves to end complicity in Gaza genocide, proposes trade freeze with Israel

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA

Continue ReadingUNRWA chief: Denial of famine in Gaza is part of deliberate disinformation campaign

UNRWA chief condemns Israel’s denial of Gaza famine as ‘shameful’

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Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) holds a press conference in Berlin, Germany on October 16, 2024 [Halil Sağırkaya – Anadolu Agency]

The head of the UN agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Tuesday slammed the Israeli government’s policy of denying the famine in Gaza as “shameful”, Anadolu reports.

Speaking to the press at a seminar held in Santander, northern Spain, Philippe Lazzarini said: “There is a famine right now in Gaza. This is a man-made famine driven by political and military will.”

Lazzarini said Gaza is facing a situation that has “hit rock bottom” in humanitarian terms, adding that the failure of the international community to heed warnings about the famine is “shameful.”

“Gaza today is like hell. People are not only dying under bombardments, they are dying of hunger, and even when they go out to look for food, they are killed. Those who could reverse the situation in Gaza are doing nothing — no measures, no condemnation.

“Today we are witnessing complete impunity for Israel. There is no economic, political, or diplomatic cost for those committing these violations,” he said.

READ: OIC calls for suspension of Israel’s UN membership

Calling for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid in Gaza, Lazzarini noted that aid equivalent to 6,000 UNRWA trucks, enough to cover the food needs of the Palestinian population for two months, is being held outside the Gaza Strip.

“The Israeli government’s policy of denying the famine in Gaza is shameful,” he said.

He also recalled that the number of humanitarian workers killed in Gaza is very high, with more than 360 UNRWA staff members having lost their lives.

Lazzarini strongly condemned the Israeli army’s airstrike on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, which left journalists civilians dead.

He also called for support for Palestinian journalists, stressing that they remain the only witnesses to what is happening in Gaza, as Israel refuses to allow international reporters into the enclave to verify the situation on the ground.

READ: Ireland calls for UN force to ensure aid reaches Gaza

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Continue ReadingUNRWA chief condemns Israel’s denial of Gaza famine as ‘shameful’