UNICEF/Eyad El Baba. In the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, two children sit in a rubble that once served as their home.
Juliette Touma, communications director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, told UN News on Tuesday that the scale of the conflict in Gaza has had an "unprecedented" impact on the agency, with the agency's staff continuing to work under heavy artillery fire while mourning for colleagues who lost their lives in the fighting.
Since the terrorist attack on Hamas on 7 October sparked Israeli retaliation, 135 UNRWA personnel are now known to have been killed in Gaza, the highest number of deaths in a single incident.
Despite the dangers and working conditions, UNRWA continued to help those innocently involved in the fighting. The humanitarian response has become even more difficult in the context of the displacement of nearly two million people throughout the Gaza Strip, many of whom have been forced to move repeatedly in search of safety.
On 19 December, UN News' Conor Lennon interviewed UNRWA Communications Director Tuma. In the interview, Touma talks about the agency's role in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the impact of misinformation on its work, and how the local team is coping with the loss of so many colleagues.
UNRWA
UNRWA Communications Director Tuma visited Gaza in November.
Juliette Tuma: It's a very brutal war. When I was in Gaza a few weeks ago, I was awakened by the sound of bombardments day and night. At that time, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of challenges and psychological pressures I would face if I were a mother of three who wanted my children to sleep peacefully every night.
All of these circumstances are unprecedented: the extent of the destruction, the scale of the displacement of people, the grief endured by UNRWA over the loss of colleagues and the attacks on our facilities. All of this happened in seven weeks, something I have never seen in my 20 years at the United Nations.
At the same time, the tight blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip has been in place for seven weeks, restricting the movement of food, water and fuel into Gaza by the United Nations and the humanitarian community.
Currently, more than 1.4 million people are seeking refuge in UNRWA-designated shelters. Our staff grieve the loss of life and have themselves been forcibly displaced, but they are still doing everything they can to help those in need.
At the same time, since the beginning of the conflict, UNRWA has been attacked by misinformation, including cyberattacks on our website and donor sites, and lies and rumours spread on social media like wildfire.
UN News: Can you share some examples?
Juliette Tuma: The way and what is taught in UNRWA schools has been attacked on several occasions. We are the only United Nations agency operating schools, with 700 schools operating throughout the region.
While we use textbooks provided by the host country in five theatres of operations, we have a very strict censorship system and scrutinize the content of these textbooks. At the same time, we have invested great efforts in training teachers on how to teach the content of these textbooks and to educate children in accordance with the principles and values of the United Nations, including peace and tolerance, freedom from hatred and racism.
Other false allegations relate to the involvement of our staff in the fighting, as well as their political ties to certain armed groups in Gaza. This misinformation has undermined the efforts of what is now the largest humanitarian organization in the Gaza Strip.
UN News: UNRWA has received increased attention since 7 October, but in fact it has been in existence since the inception of the United Nations.
Juliette Tuma: Yes, UNRWA is one of the oldest United Nations agencies and the largest in Gaza. We have been working in Gaza for 70 years.
Our biggest project is to provide education. Regrettably, however, since the outbreak of the conflict on 7 October, we have had to close all schools and convert many schools into shelters.
We have provided basic health care to more than 1 million people and food assistance to more than 1.2 million people. In addition, we provide cash assistance and cash-for-work programmes to families in need.
UNRWA is a trustworthy entity in the eyes of communities in the Gaza Strip, which is why they come to our shelters for protection and safety. They trust that the blue flag of the United Nations will protect them.
UNFPA Palestine/Bisan Ouda
UNRWA schools are now shelters and places where people can access medical care.
UN News: More than 100 UNRWA facilities have been damaged and more than 130 colleagues have been killed since 7 October. How do you move forward in this situation?
Juliette Tuma: It seems to me that we have a team of heroes in Gaza. Our frontline workers are in the shelter every day to help, listen and counsel.
They are also doing things that seem very simple, but can definitely save lives in the context of war, such as collecting garbage that is starting to pile up.
Some 70 per cent of staff have been forcibly displaced: they have lost colleagues, neighbours, families and homes, but thousands of people still insist on putting on their UN vests every morning and continuing their work.
Over the past 15 years, Gaza has been under a tight blockade and has endured many conflicts. In my opinion, despite such a difficult environment, there has long been a strong sense of community in Gaza, as evidenced by the tenacity and dedication of our staff.
UN News: You must be thinking about how the current crisis is going to develop, are you having a discussion about that?
Juliette Touma: No, it's simple because we're focused on the here and now. We have a very solid team of professionals with extensive experience in dealing with conflicts, responding to natural disasters and humanitarian work. But, despite our experience, we all agree that the current situation is unprecedented.
So our focus now is on supporting those on the ground in Gaza who need us most, delivering humanitarian aid, telling the story of what's happening, and advocating for an end to this war.