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-
Document Sources: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA)
Country: Holy See
Subject: Assistance, Assistance to the Palestinian people, Children, Education and culture, Funding needs, Gaza Strip, Health, Humanitarian relief
Publication Date: 12/01/2026
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