New York - Saba:
UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed that the United Nations does not intend "in any way to change the mandate" granted to UNRWA by the General Assembly.
"UNRWA is not targeted, but it operates in a unique environment, with financial pressures on the organization and the security situation that we are highlighting daily, whether in Gaza or the occupied West Bank, not to mention the work it has been forced to do during the conflict in Syria and Lebanon," Dujarric said in response to journalists' questions on Tuesday after announcing a "strategic assessment" of the agency, headed by British Ambassador Ian Martin.
"I want to make one thing clear: this is not about changing UNRWA's mandate. UNRWA's mandate was given to the organization by the General Assembly," he said, adding that the United Nations is "trying to see how, in this very complex environment, UNRWA can do its best for the Palestinian refugees it serves and the communities it serves.
They deserve assistance from an organization, UNRWA, that is able to operate in the best possible way amid all these challenges."
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