UN appoints envoy to assess aid for Palestinians
UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations on Tuesday appointed an envoy to complete a 'strategic assessment' of the agency charged with aiding Palestinians, a spokesman said.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed Ian Martin of the United Kingdom to review the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, to gauge the 'political, financial, security' constraints the agency faces.
The organization, broadly considered to be the backbone of humanitarian aid delivery for embattled Palestinians, has withstood a barrage of criticism and accusations from Israel since Hamas's deadly October 7, 2023 attack inside Israel and the devastating war in Gaza that followed.
Israel cut all contact with UNRWA at the end of January, and has accused 19 of its 13,000 employees in Gaza of being directly involved in the October 7 attacks.
'We're trying to see how in this very complex environment, UNRWA can best deliver for the Palestine refugees it serves. For the communities it serves, they deserve to be assisted by an organization, by an UNRWA that can work in the best possible manner,' spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
The review is being carried out as part of the UN80 initiative launched last month to address chronic financial difficulties, which are being exacerbated by US budget cuts to international aid programs.
Not all agencies will undergo a strategic assessment, but UNRWA's operations in Gaza are unique, Dujarric said.
'We will not question UNRWA's mandate. We will see how UNRWA can better operate and better serve the communities that rely on' it, Dujarric added.
The agency was created by a UN General Assembly resolution in 1949, in the wake of the first Israeli-Arab conflict, shortly after the creation of Israel in 1948.
Throughout decades of sporadic but ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, UNRWA has provided essential humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
Educated at Cambridge and Harvard universities, Martin has previously served the UN on missions in Somalia, Libya, Timor-Leste, Nepal, Eritrea, Rwanda and Haiti.
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[UPDATED] Malaysia to continue diplomatic efforts for Palestinian cause
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said regional leaders have agreed to continue consultations and explore urgent solutions to the Gaza crisis, reaffirming a united front against Israeli aggression. Speaking after attending Aidiladha prayers at Masjid Putra, Anwar said his recent conversations with foreign counterparts — including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — had focused on the worsening situation in Gaza. "In all these discussions, we expressed a clear and united stance on Gaza — to stop the violence, reject all efforts to obstruct humanitarian aid, and to strongly condemn Israel's brutal and aggressive actions," he said. Anwar said the leaders had agreed to continue consultations and find alternative ways to resolve the crisis as soon as possible. Malaysia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and has consistently voiced strong support for the Palestinian cause. The country has long advocated for Palestinian statehood and regularly condemns Israeli actions in the occupied territories. The United States recently vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, arguing that it would undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts. The move was heavily criticised by other members of the United Nations Security Council. It marked the 15-member body's first vote on the situation since November, when the United States — a key Israeli ally — also blocked a resolution calling for an end to the fighting. Asked whether Malaysia would raise the matter directly with the United States following its latest veto, Anwar said the government had already conveyed its position. "We have expressed our views, and they are already known to the international community. But this is not something one country can resolve on its own. "As we did with the Gulf states recently through Asean-GCC cooperation, we are rallying other nations to issue firm statements and pressure the world to stop the violence," he said. Anwar also criticised countries that publicly condemned Israel while continuing to supply it with weapons. "To condemn while selling arms to Israel is an act that clearly violates international and humanitarian law," he said. The conflict began after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, prompting a large-scale Israeli military offensive in Gaza. The war has left Gaza's population facing severe shortages of food, water and medicine, as humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate.
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Bangladesh's Yunus announces elections in April 2026
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