Committee: United Nations Human Rights Council
Topic: Deliberation on the Protection of Refugees and Internally Displaced People from war
crimes and crimes against Humanity
Country: State of Israel
The United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees has declared approximately 130.8
million people as forcibly displaced and stateless people and has a budget of at least 10.622
US dollars to protect these stateless people (Report). These people will further be affected by
the climatic crisis as well as economic crisis in the state they are reciting. According to the
March Report of National Centers for Environmental Information there has been gradual
increase in the temperature as compared to the month of March of year 2023. This will
simultaneously affect the refugees as well as asylum seekers which are present in the states
that are already dealing with economic as well as food crisis. States that are present in the
African region like Sudan (10.7 million displaced people), South Sudan (2.3 million
internally displaced people), Chad (1.1 million refugees), Ethiopia (972,835 Refugees &
Asylum seekers) and many other are facing the economic crisis with simultaneous food crisis.
It is very important for the needed fund to reach to the agencies working for the betterment of
these people.
Dr. Jacob Robinson, Plenipotentiary for Israel, in the press release on Israel’s signing of the
1951 convention stated that:-
“Israel’s standards today are above those set forth in the Convention. ‘Our refugees are
becoming citizens almost as they step off the boat, but we still have a large number of other
refugees and we intend to treat them honestly and fairly as nationals in every respect…’”
The state of Israel firmly believes that these refugees and asylum seekers deserve a proper
state, residence, education and health care facilities and also proper living standards, at least
to survive. State hosts around 60000 adult asylum seekers which include 31000 from Sudan
and Eritrea, 30000 Ukrainians which further include 8000 children of asylum seekers who
were born in Israel. Israel co-operates with UNHCR as its key partner in its mission to ensure
the protection of refugees and asylum-seekers in accordance with international standards.
The state of Israel has many NGO’s that assist refugees and asylum seekers and are co-
ordinated by UNHCR:-
1. The Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, established in 1998 and previously known as
Hotline for Migrant Workers, specializes in providing legal and paralegal services,
monitoring detention facilities, drafting litigation and public advocacy, and outreach
for refugees and asylum-seekers.
2. The African Refugee Development Center (ARDC) is a grassroots NGO that was
established by African refugees and Israeli citizens in 2004 in order to provide
humanitarian support and services for asylum-seekers and refugees in Israel.
3. ASSAF (the Aid Organization for Asylum Seekers and Refugees), founded in 2007 to
aid refugees and asylum-seekers, works in the areas of Advocacy for Social Change,
Community Strengthening and Psychosocial Support.
4. The Eritrean Women’s Community Center in Tel Aviv is an initiative designed and
run independently by a group of Eritrean refugee women.
The temporary shelters have being sanctioned to the African asylum seekers and also The
District Court in Tel Aviv has decided to grant all refugees from Ukraine in Israel 2A5 visas,
which guarantee a number of rights and opportunities.(Details of visas granted)
The state of Israel is itself under a war situation against the “perpetrators of terrorism”,
Hamas which conducted a massacre on October 7th due to which around 200,000-250,000
were displaced internally from southern Israel. Even half a million population left the country
leading to sudden fall in the population of Jews in the state. HIAS Is working to assist the
internally displaced people which include the refugee from other states as well.
Israel is going to conduct a mass operation in the region of Rafah for which it is going to
follow dual-plan:-
a. Evacuation: The Israeli Government with IDF is initially planning to evacuate
thousands of refugees from Rafah in order to conduct its operation against Hamas. It
has even purchased tents which will be set up for the refugees (NEWS-source)
b. Operation: after the evacuation the IDF will conduct its operation in Rafah to
eliminate the last battalions of Hamas and come to end of the war.
Israel itself is facilitating massive aid into Gaza strip for the refugees:-
a. Israel is already facilitating the entry of more than 1,000 trucks of aid to Gaza per
week and stands ready to do more. On March 3, Israel inspected and transferred 277
humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza.
b. Since Hamas initiated the war on October 7, 280,080 tons of aid has entered on
15,207 trucks.
c. Israel has also enabled Jordan and France to airdrop supplies to specific areas when
other mechanisms to deliver aid have been unavailable. (Source)
The state of Israel firmly believes that refugees and asylum seekers deserve the recognition
and proper assistance in order to make them feel secure and improve their living condition.
As signatory of UN refugee convention 1951, Israel stands to assist the refugees and asylum
seekers as well as is ready to stand with United Nations in any steps taken for stateless
people.
