Apocalyptic conditions Israel's ban on Unrwa 'will mean mass starvation'

In bags were piling up at one end of the chaotic main thoroughfare in Shuafat refugee camp yesterday morning as shoppers walked by, stepping over a stream of wastewater trickling from a nearby drainpipe.

- Bethan McKernan Ramallah Julian Borger Jerusalem

In bags were piling up at one end of the chaotic main thoroughfare in Shuafat refugee camp yesterday morning as shoppers walked by, stepping over a stream of wastewater trickling from a nearby drainpipe. Poor sanitation is just one of the UN-administered Palestinian camp's problems - but things are going to get much worse.

Despite huge international pressure not to jeopardize the work of Unrwa, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the Israeli parliament voted this week to ban the organisation from operating on its soil. It also declared it a terror group, effectively severing all cooperation and communication between the UN agency and the Jewish state.

At present it is unclear how the new laws, which are supposed to go into effect in 90 days, will affect aid in Gaza, where UN officials say humanitarian efforts for 2.3 million people are "completely dependent" on Unrwa staff, facilities and logistical capabilities. Another 900,000 Palestinians in the West Bank rely on the organisation for basic services, which the semi-autonomous Palestinian Authority does not have the capacity to take over, leading to fears it could collapse altogether.

"Emergency providers can step in for a short time, but they cannot replace what Unrwa does long term. It is too big to fail."

The new bills could yet be vetoed by the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, if he can be persuaded by western allies who support Unrwa's activities, and they will almost certainly be challenged in petitions to Israel's supreme court made by human rights groups.