UNRWA

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United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
AbbreviationUNRWA
Formation8 December 1949; 74 years ago (1949-12-08)
TypeUnited Nations Programme
PurposeProvide direct relief and works programmes for Palestinian refugees
HeadquartersAmman, Jordan and Gaza, Palestinian Authority
Region
Levant
ServicesEducation, health care, relief/social services, infrastructure/camp improvement, microfinancial assistance and emergency response[1]
FieldsHumanitarian aid
Commissioner-General
Philippe Lazzarini
Deputy Commissioner-General
Leni Stenseth
Parent organization
United Nations
Budget (2020)
US$806 million[2]
Staff
30,000
Websitewww.unrwa.org

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is an organization established by the United Nations (UN) in December 1949. Its main purpose is to provide assistance and support to Palestinian refugees who were displaced due to the 1948 Palestine War. UNRWA offers necessary services such as education, healthcare, social services, and emergency aid to Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.[3]

UNRWA has over 30,000 people as employs, most of them Palestinian refugees, and a small number of international staff. The agency operates numerous schools and health centers, offering education and medical care to Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's services aim to improve the living conditions and well-being of these refugee communities.

UNRWA is funded through voluntary contributions from various countries around the world and is separate from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which serves other refugee populations globally. The agency's mandate is regularly renewed by the UN General Assembly to continue its support and assistance to Palestinian refugees until a just and durable solution to their situation is achieved.

During the Israel–Hamas War in 2023-24, at least 142 members of UNRWA working in Gaza Strip were killed by israel as of 1 January 2024.[4][5]

U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken with UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini.
UNRWA operations, as of 1 January 2017

References[change | change source]

  1. UNRWA (n.d.). "What We Do". UNRWA. United Nations.
  2. UNRWA (August 2020). "HOW WE SPEND FUNDS". UNRWA. United Nations.
  3. "What is the UNRWA?". DW. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  4. "Israeli strikes kill UN staff, more than 70 of his extended family in Gaza". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  5. "UNRWA SITUATION REPORT #59 ON THE SITUATION IN THE GAZA STRIP AND THE WEST BANK, INCLUDING EAST JERUSALEM". UNRWA. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.

Other websites[change | change source]