Dear colleagues,
As my tenure as Commissioner-General comes to an end, I would like to express my immense gratitude for the privilege of serving alongside all of you, and my profound appreciation for the unwavering commitment you have shown towards UNRWA and the Palestine Refugees we serve.
I began my tenure as Commissioner-General in April 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the years that followed, we have collectively witnessed – and responded to – some of the darkest chapters in the history of the Palestinian community.
We have been on the frontlines of wars, atrocities, famine, destruction, mass displacement, natural disasters and disease outbreaks. We have also borne witness to appalling violations of international law and the privileges and immunities of the United Nations. Throughout this period, UNRWA has been subject to relentless disinformation campaigns, vicious political attacks and a grave financial crisis.
Most tragically, more than 390 colleagues have been killed in Gaza. Many others have been injured, detained, tortured or have endured hardships that no employee of a United Nations agency should ever face.
Yet, throughout the years, across all fields, and against all odds, time and again, you have stood firm. You have delivered the mandate entrusted to us, often at great personal cost, with professionalism, courage and humanity. Together, we have achieved far more than could reasonably have been expected under such horrific circumstances.
Across Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, I have seen first-hand the extraordinary dedication with which you serve Palestine Refugees in the harshest of environments. In Gaza, colleagues have worked under relentless bombardment, displacement and deprivation; in the West Bank, amid escalating violence and restrictions; in Syria, through years of protracted crisis, political turmoil, and recovery; in Lebanon, against the backdrop of economic collapse and recurrent conflict; and in Jordan, while sustaining essential services for one of the largest refugee communities in a region in turmoil. Wherever you serve, you have upheld UNRWA’s mandate with determination and compassion, often in conditions that test the limits of human endurance.
Today, UNRWA continues to operate in an exceptionally constrained environment. Funding remains inadequate and uncertain, needs are immense, and the pressure on staff is real and unrelenting. I have been compelled to take painful cost-control and austerity measures to safeguard the continuity of UNRWA’s operations and to protect staff jobs and service delivery to Palestine Refugees. I know how deeply these measures have affected you and your families.
Despite everything, UNRWA is still standing — because of you. Core services continue to be delivered, and emergency assistance is being provided to those most in need. Your work and commitment have enhanced our credibility and given a voice to millions of Palestine Refugees.
As Commissioner-General, at a time when silence would have been the easier path to tread, your courage reinforced my resolve to speak out. I have made it my mission to bring to the world’s attention the devastation faced by Palestine Refugees, and to advocate unequivocally for their rights—publicly, and before the Security Council and the General Assembly. Last week, I sent my final letter as Commissioner-General to the General Assembly, once again urging Member States to act to defend UNRWA’s mandate and operations. I underscored the Agency’s outstanding work and the unacceptable price paid by staff and the communities we serve. Above all, I appealed for a just and lasting political solution for Palestine Refugees.
Today, the region is plunging deeper into turmoil. The need for UNRWA’s services and the principled assistance of the United Nations has never been more evident. The Agency will continue to evolve, adapt and reform, but its foundation remains unchanged: dedicated, professional staff who uphold the values of the United Nations in service of those in need.
UNRWA staff have been a constant source of inspiration to me throughout my tenure. Your integrity, steadfastness and sense of duty — even in moments of profound loss and uncertainty — represent the very best of international public service.
Whether you serve displaced persons in our shelters, coordinate lifesaving humanitarian aid, clean the streets in our camps, treat patients in our clinics, or teach children in our classrooms, your contributions are indispensable.
As my tenure comes to an end, the Senior Management Team will continue to guide and support you, under the leadership of my ad interim successor, Christian Saunders. I trust that you will extend to Christian the same warmth and support you have given to me.
Palestine Refugees and UNRWA will remain in my heart and mind and I will continue to advocate for justice whenever and wherever possible.
With gratitude and solidarity,
Philippe Lazzarini
Commissioner-General
