Paper: The Ongoing UNRWA Crisis: Context, Dimensions, Prospects And Responses ... Jaber Suleiman

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Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations and the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Forum of the Common Space Initiative have published a new paper entitled, “The Ongoing UNRWA Crisis: Context, Dimensions, Prospects and Responses” prepared by Jaber Suleiman. It is based on a background paper prepared by Suleiman, and then it was revised in light of in-depth discussions at a symposium held jointly between al-Zaytouna and the Forum, on 26/4/2018 at al-Zaytouna Centre, and was attended by specialists in Palestinian, international and legal affairs.

It is published in light of the accelerated developments of the UNRWA crisis, whose targeting not only challenges the Palestinian refugee status, but also host countries conditions and other international organizations.

At first, the paper displays the political context and crisis that led the United Nations General Assembly to establish the UNRWA, and then the approaches for its liquidation. The economic, social and political approaches are analyzed in order to understand the reasons for the direct targeting of UNRWA. This is despite the fact that the refugee issue remains unsolved, and a political solution for the Palestine issue hasn’t been reached yet.

The paper has a special section discussing the implications of UNRWA’s crisis in Lebanon as a host country, whether concerning the Palestinian presence or Lebanese policies towards UNRWA.

The importance of such a paper is in the fact that it discusses the prospects of the UNRWA crisis, the long-term scenarios and possible means and mechanisms of confrontation.