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Ahmad Awad is the founder and director of the Phenix Center for Economic and Informatics Studies, located in Amman, Jordan. Throughout his career that spans over three decades, including significant tenure at multiple locations with UNRWA, he has devoted his professional life to advocating and defending human rights, with a particular focus on socio-economic rights. On both regional and national fronts, he has been instrumental in pushing for increased involvement of civil society organizations in decision-making processes. This has been achieved through his leadership in the preparation and supervision of a wide array of reports, research, policy analyses, and position papers covering a vast range of socio-political and economic issues. Holding an MA in International Political Economy, he is an active member of numerous civil society networks and coalitions at local, regional, and international levels. Over the years, he has served as a coordinator for various civil rights networks and coalitions dedicated to the defense of human rights across the region. In 2020, he was elected chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Watch Coalition. He was honored in 2018 by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as an exceptional human rights defender, marking the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Suspending UNRWA funding is collective punishment for Palestinians
The decision by the United States and other donor countries to suspend financial assistance to UNRWA will have far-reaching and likely devastating consequences for the civilian populations that rely on its services, particularly in the Gaza Strip. Donor countries must realize that the consequences will hinder the humanitarian response to the Israeli war on Gaza, incurring a heavy cost in human lives.
