Palestinian graduates in Gaza protest against UNRWA's hiring block against relatives of current employees

A group of Palestinian graduates protested today, Wednesday, in front of UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City against the international organisation's decision to prevent the employment of relatives in the organization's institutions.

The protesters expressed their categorical rejection of the decisions issued by the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philip Lazzarini to "prevent first-degree relatives of employees from applying for jobs at UNRWA".

The protesters called on various Palestinian parties to pressure the UNRWA administration to reverse this decision and provide opportunities for the masses of refugees, especially graduates, to submit job applications.

Mohammed Hamad, a Palestinian refugee in Gaza, remarked to The New Arab that "this unjust decision exacerbates the suffering of Palestinian families."

"The UNRWA administration's insistence on taking this decision constitutes a violation of the principles for which UNRWA was established, which is the employment, relief and service of Palestinian refugees, regardless of their status or the number of employees working for it," he added. 

On her part, Mariam Nassar, another protester, said she took part to raise her voice against the "illegal and unjust" UNRWA's decision.

"The continuation of UNRWA's abuses is a flagrant violation of what the Commissioner-General promised to reverse a series of decisions taken against employees and refugees, all of which disregard all calls and demands of UNRWA to stop this policy," she added.

"The implementation of the decision to prevent the employment of relatives is part of a series of strategic decisions of a political nature that aim to reduce the aid provided by the international organization in order to end the refugee issue and thus end the right of return for the Palestinian refugees who were displaced from their lands in 1948," she stressed.