UN to commemorate Palestinian ‘Nakba’ for first time

For the first time since 1948, the United Nation (UN) will commemorate the Nakba of the Palestinian people with an official event, on Monday, at the headquarters of the international body in New York City.

This year marks 75 years of Nakba, or catastrophe.

Nakba day is celebrated every year on May 15, to commemorate the displacement of nearly 800,000 Palestinians out of their homes in the first Middle East war in 1948.

According to the mandate granted by the United Nations General Assembly, by a resolution issued on November 30, 2022, the 75th anniversary of the Nakba will be commemorated, by organizing two events at the United Nations headquarters.

All UN members and observers are invited to attend the two events, as well as intergovernmental and civil society organizations as well as the public, according to a statement posted on the UN website.

“The UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People [CEIRPP] will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Nakba at UN Headquarters in New York,” the UN said.

“For the first time in the history of the UN, this anniversary will be commemorated pursuant to the mandate by the General Assembly,” UN adds.

“Commemorations… will bring to life the Palestinian journey and will aim at creating an immersive experience of the Nakba through live music, photos, videos, and personal testimonies,” UN added.