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UNRWA condemns Israel's large scale home demolitions in West Bank

Xinhua, April 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Thursday condemned the large scale home demolitions by Israeli authorities in the Bedouin refugee community in the West Bank also on Thursday.

As a result of the Israeli action, 31 Palestine refugees, including 16 children, were reportedly made homeless.

"I am appalled. Looking in the eyes of a young Bedouin boy in a red shirt standing amongst the crumpled ruins of his demolished home, how can anyone justify this? " Lance Bartholomeusz, director of UNRWA operations in the West Bank, was cited as saying.

According to UNRWA, already this year, over 700 Palestinians have been displaced by Israeli demolitions in the West Bank. This figure is approaching the total number of displacements for all of 2015.

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some five million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip achieve their full potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. Endit