12 January 2026


It was an honour to have a private audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.

I briefed him on the immense suffering endured by Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as well as on the political and financial challenges confronting Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA.

I stressed that the attacks on Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA are an assault on the multilateral system and a defiance of international law with reverberations far beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I also stressed that bringing back to a learning environment the more than 600,000 girls and boys currently living in the rubble of Gaza should be our common priority to avoid a lost generation.

I sought the Holy Father¡¯s support to preserve Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA¡¯s critical services, primarily in the area of education, public health and safety nets for Palestine Refugees in Gaza and across the region until a just and fair political solution is in place.

ENDs-