UNRWA

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is an organization created to provide assistance and support to Palestinian refugees who were displaced due to the 1948 Palestine War. The United Nations established the agency in December 1949. 

UNRWA offers necessary services like education, healthcare, social services, and emergency aid to Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

UNRWA employs around 30,000 people. Most are Palestinian refugees, plus a small number of international staff. The agency operates numerous schools and health centers, providing education and medical care to Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's goal is to improve the living conditions and well-being of these refugee communities.

UNRWA is funded through voluntary contributions from various countries around the world. It is separate from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which serves other refugee populations globally. The United Nations General Assembly regularly renews UNRWA's mandate to support and assist Palestinian refugees until there is a just and durable solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

As of 1 January 2024, during the Israel–Hamas War in 2023-24, at least 142 members of UNRWA working in the Gaza Strip had been killed by Israeli armed forces.

 thumb | left | U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken with UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini. 
References


Other websites


 UNRWA Facebook profile
 UNRWA Twitter profile
 UNRWA YouTube channel

Category:Arab–Israeli conflict
Category:United Nations