The head of a UN agency that provides support to Palestinian refugees has called on the international community to squarely face the decades-old issue.

Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, spoke to NHK in Tokyo on Monday. His agency provides food and educational support to roughly 5.9 million refugees, including those in neighboring Jordan and Lebanon. But it is struggling financially.

The interview comes as peace negotiations remain stalled, and violence flared up this year between Israelis and Palestinians.

Lazzarini called for continued support to refugees. He said a sense of despair and distress is growing in the region, as more and more refugees are feeling abandoned by the international community.

Lazzarini said that more attention should be paid to the Palestinian issue, now that the international community is focused on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.