The demolition of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in East Jerusalem marks a troubling escalation in the assault on international legitimacy and humanitarian law. Israeli bulldozers tearing through a UN compound in Sheikh Jarrah, the hoisting of a national flag over its ruins, and the closure of UN-run schools and clinics strike at the heart of the multilateral system designed to protect civilians and uphold human dignity in times of conflict.
UNRWA has operated for 77 years under a clear mandate from the United Nations, providing education, healthcare and humanitarian assistance to millions of Palestinian refugees. Its premises and personnel are protected by the privileges and immunities of the UN. As UNRWA officials warned, the demolition constitutes an unprecedented attack not only on the agency, but on the United Nations itself. If such actions are allowed to pass without consequence, the precedent they set threatens every international organisation operating in conflict zones around the world.
Qatar’s response has been firm and principled. Doha reaffirmed that it will continue to support UNRWA materially, morally and politically and called on the international community to stand by the agency and all UN bodies, and not to allow any party to endanger their missions, undermine international legitimacy or obstruct humanitarian work. The demolition of UNRWA facilities will only worsen the lives of Palestinians and erode the international system that should act as a safeguard against violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, during his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, warned that the world is undergoing a rapid and unsettling transformation, with long-standing checks and balances steadily eroding. In such a moment, he stressed, multilateral institutions are more necessary than ever, and more dangerous to undermine.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. Unrestricted humanitarian access is essential, and agencies such as UNRWA are indispensable to any serious stabilisation effort. Undermining them, whether through political pressure or physical destruction, only prolongs suffering and deepens instability.
In standing firmly with UNRWA, Qatar is defending more than a single agency or compound. It is defending the principle that humanitarian work must be protected and that international law must apply to all.
