Ramalla 6 November 2025
Dr. Ahmad Abu Holi, Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Head of the Refugee Affairs Department, received the Brazilian Ambassador to Palestine, Mr. Joao Marcelo Soares, at his office in Ramallah, in the presence of Deputy Head of the Department Mr. Anwar Hamam and international relations expert Ms. Mai Odeh.
During the meeting, both sides discussed preparations for the upcoming session of UNRWA’s Advisory Commission—chaired by Brazil—which will be held on 19–20 November 2025 in Amman, Jordan, and explored ways to ensure the success of the committee’s agenda.
Dr. Abu Holi emphasized the vital role played by UNRWA in delivering humanitarian services to Palestine refugees, noting that it remains the largest and most capable institution operating across its five fields of work, backed by 76 years of accumulated expertise.
He highlighted that UNRWA provided 60% of all humanitarian assistance during the genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Abu Holi also stressed the urgent need to increase financial support to the Agency, especially following the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which reaffirmed support for UNRWA, obligated Israel to facilitate its operations, and cleared the Agency of the allegations leveled against it.
He underscored the necessity of ensuring the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and called on donor countries—including Brazil—to translate their political support into tangible financial contributions to guarantee UNRWA’s continued operations across all its fields.
He added that the New York Declaration issued in April of last year reaffirmed the importance of sustaining UNRWA’s mandate.
Dr. Abu Holi warned about the strategic evaluation report prepared by Ian Martin, which presented four scenarios for UNRWA’s future—scenarios that, he said, effectively seek to dismantle the Agency and gradually transfer its services to host countries and international organizations. He stressed that ending UNRWA would lead to regional instability.
He also briefed the Ambassador on the catastrophic humanitarian situation faced by refugees in Gaza after the war, as well as the difficult conditions in the camps of northern West Bank (Jenin, Nur Shams, Tulkarm) and Jerusalem.
In addition, the meeting addressed opportunities for enhancing cooperation between the Refugee Affairs Department and the Brazilian Embassy in political, parliamentary, cultural, and educational fields.
For his part, Ambassador Soares reaffirmed Brazil’s continued support for UNRWA and stressed the importance of renewing its mandate and ensuring the Agency’s ongoing presence in the Gaza Strip.
He also underscored the need to encourage donor states—during the Advisory Commission and its subcommittee meetings—to provide both political and financial support to UNRWA.
The Ambassador highlighted the importance of inviting UNRWA to participate in the planned reconstruction conference in Cairo, given its central role in Gaza’s reconstruction and recovery.
He further emphasized the significance of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion and the importance of utilizing it diplomatically.
Ambassador Soares noted that Brazil, as chair of the Advisory Commission, has invited China, Iceland, and South Korea to participate as guest observer states in the upcoming session.
In conclusion, both sides reaffirmed the importance of supporting UNRWA and ensuring the continuity of its work amid the growing challenges it faces.
