UNRWA called into question: is Humanitarian Law dead?
While Israel’s parliament bans UNRWA from operating in the occupied territories, several Western countries have made significant cuts to their financial aid. Both factors raise serious concerns amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. UNRWA remains the sole organisation able to provide large-scale assistance to the Palestinian population. Beyond the immediate crisis, this move signals a profound retreat from humanitarian law—one that is especially significant given that Switzerland, the depositary state of the Geneva Conventions, is among those reducing funding. Such developments fuel growing fears about the erosion of humanitarian law and its principles worldwide.
Alfonso Gomez
Administrative Councillor of the City of Geneva, in charge of the Department of Finance, Environment and Housing
Frederic Pfyffer
Journalist and programme officer, RTS Documentaries
Hortense Devalière
Head of Palestine programmes, Médecins du Monde Switzerland
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Philippe Lazzarini
Commissioner General of UNRWA
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Jean-Daniel Ruch
Former Swiss Ambassador to Israel
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Hanan Ashrawi
Palestinian Political and Civil Society Leader
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The discussion is interpreted in English and French
UNRWA, 75 ans d'une histoire provisoire
UNRWA, an “apolitical” agency, has nonetheless found itself at the heart of the most political debates of the century. This documentary examines its complex role: a lifeline for millions of Palestinian refugees or an unwitting instrument in a never-ending conflict? Through fascinating first-hand accounts and never-before-seen archive footage, the film recounts the crises and tragedies that have marked its history, which is inseparable from that of the Palestinian refugees. With its survival hanging by a thread, UNRWA embodies a fascinating paradox, where the humanitarian and the political intertwine, mapping out the uncertainties and the future of a people in search of justice.
An additional screening will take place on Saturday 15 March, at 8:30pm at Cinélux.
Info and ticket: cinelux.ch
Nicolas Wadimoff
RTS – Radio télévision suisse romande
Lyana Saleh
