BEIJING: China has urged the international community, especially major donors, to prioritize the lives of the innocent people in the besieged Gaza Strip, reconsider the decision to suspend funding, and continue to support the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees, local media reported on Thursday.
This was stated by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin during his regular press briefing in Beijing. The spokesperson said that as the current Palestinian-Israeli war drags on into the fourth month, the Gaza Strip faces unprecedented humanitarian disaster.
Wang Wenbin said that under the present circumstances, there was no other choice than a truce that could de-escalate the crisis, and there was no other task that was more pressing than protecting civilians.
He added that the UNRWA had made a significant effort in easing the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, playing an irreplaceable role. He said that data showed that two-thirds of the over two million Gazans received help from UNRWA.
He said, “UN Chief António Guterres stated that UNRWA is the “backbone” of all humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip.”
“We support the UN in conducting an independent, objective, and just investigation. Collective punishment against the people in Gaza should be avoided,” the spokesperson added.
Wang Wenbin said, “We must not deny all of the work of UNRWA because of the moves by some individuals. We must not allow more collective punishment against the people in Gaza. We must not sit idly by and see the humanitarian situation in Gaza get worse.”
