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Why do more than 5.6 million Palestinians choose to rely on UNRWA? What is the story behind this?
The fate of Palestinian refugees has always been in the spotlight in Middle East geopolitics. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced to flee their homes and became refugees. The agency responsible for assisting these refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), was established in 1949 to provide emergency assistance and sustained social development. Today, more than 5.6 million Palestinians are registered as refugees and rely on UNRWA assistance.
UNRWA’s mission is simple and clear: to provide education, medical and social services to help refugees rebuild their lives.
The history and purpose of UNRWA
UNRWA was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1949 and was initially responsible for providing direct aid and relief to Palestine refugees since 1948. Over time, the agency's responsibilities expanded to include areas such as education, health, and social services in response to changing needs. UNRWA currently operates in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and provides services to Palestinian refugees in these areas.
Definition of refugee
UNRWA pioneered a unique definition of refugee to enable the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance. According to this definition, refugees are people who settled in Palestine between June 1, 1946 and May 15, 1948 and lost their homes and livelihoods due to the conflict. As demand continued to expand, UNRWA's scope of operations was adjusted at various times to accommodate new waves of refugees following the 1967 Six-Day War.
The organization and operation of UNRWA
UNRWA's operating mechanism is relatively unique in that it reports directly to the United Nations General Assembly and seeks to renew its clear mandate and funding every three years. The current commissioner, Director General Philippe Lazzarini, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the agency and leads more than 30,000 employees, the vast majority of whom are local Palestinians. The United Nations' funds mainly come from voluntary contributions from member states, which makes the operation of UNRWA face many challenges, especially the shortage of funds caused by political changes.
Funding Challenges
For UNRWA, the stability of funding is always a big issue. Contributions from many countries often depend on their domestic political climate. For example, the United States significantly reduced its financial support to UNRWA in 2018, which significantly weakened UNRWA's operational capabilities and created additional funding gaps. At the same time, some countries, such as Germany and the United Nations Council of Europe, increased their contributions to UNRWA in 2019, demonstrating their awareness of the importance of the operation of this institution.
Education, health and social services
The largest service provided by UNRWA is education, which UNRWA reports accounts for 58% of its total budget. The agency operates 711 schools, providing free basic education to 526,000 Palestinian refugee children. UNRWA’s school system is the largest in the Middle East and has many practices that promote gender equality. Currently, about half of the students are female. UNRWA's medical services are also vital, mainly through the establishment of primary care clinics, which provide basic medical services to millions of refugees.
The health services operated by UNRWA continue to pay attention to the health needs that change with age.
Multiple aspects of social services
In addition to education and health services, UNRWA supports the most vulnerable families through social services. In particular, UNRWA provides food assistance, cash assistance, shelter repair, etc. to single-parent families with poor economic conditions. Under the framework of social services, UNRWA strives to provide support for women and people with disabilities, and has established specialized vocational training centers and support groups to try to help the social development of these groups.
Future Outlook
As the regional situation changes and global economic challenges intensify, the future of UNRWA remains uncertain. Despite the challenges of underfunding and political interference, UNRWA remains committed to its core role in refugee societies and strives to improve people's quality of life. How the 5.6 million Palestinians who rely on UNRWA can seek more lasting solutions in the future has triggered profound thinking and discussion on the refugee issue.
Against this backdrop, can Palestinian refugees achieve a future free from dependence?
