UN refugee agency

A UN news roundup highlights US migration policies triggering what officials call a cascade of human rights violations, alongside warnings over funding shortfalls for refugee programmes. The brief also covers a new global report on the state of the world's forests and progress on restorative justice efforts in Colombia as the country continues dealing with the legacy of its armed conflict.

The US-led Board of Peace has announced that UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, will have no role in Gaza going forward. The statement marks a significant decision about the administration of humanitarian aid and services in the territory, and is likely to draw strong reactions from the UN, Palestinian representatives and humanitarian organisations.

Hamas has condemned the Board of Peace for refusing to work with UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, in Gaza. The dispute centres on which body should deliver aid and services in the territory. The row highlights growing friction over the international framework being set up to govern Gaza's reconstruction and relief efforts.

Al Jazeera reports that the Board of Peace, the framework overseeing Gaza's future, has ruled out any role for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, in the territory. Critics say the decision echoes long-standing Israeli demands to remove the agency, raising questions about whether the board is pursuing an independent approach or following Israeli policy lines on Gaza's postwar administration.

The former head of UNRWA says the Gaza Board of Peace, the body established under Donald Trump's ceasefire framework, held unpublicised meetings with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. The contact would be notable given Israel's push to dissolve UNRWA and its exclusion from the Trump plan, suggesting the agency still has a role in Gaza's humanitarian future.

The Board of Peace has decided to exclude the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operations in Gaza. The move aligns with repeated Israeli government calls to sideline the refugee aid agency, and marks a significant shift in who will deliver humanitarian assistance in the territory. Observers are weighing what the decision means for aid delivery to Palestinian refugees, given UNRWA's long-standing role as the main UN agency serving them in Gaza and the wider region.

Hamas has accused the Board of Peace of aligning with Israel after the body excluded UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, from its operations in Gaza. The Palestinian group says the exclusion demonstrates bias against Palestinians and undermines the agency's critical humanitarian role. The dispute adds new friction to international efforts over Gaza's future and the delivery of aid.

The UN refugee agency has voiced concern over Malaysia's returns of people to Myanmar, according to a Reuters report. The agency says such returns may put vulnerable people at risk in a country still affected by conflict and instability following the 2021 military coup. The issue touches on Malaysia's treatment of Myanmar nationals, including refugees and asylum seekers, and the principle of not returning people to danger. No further details were available in the initial reporting.

UN refugee agency official Salih spoke before the UN Security Council at UN headquarters in New York. The address focused on matters before the Council, though further details of the remarks were not immediately available. The appearance comes amid ongoing international debate over refugee protection and humanitarian crises requiring Security Council attention.