Gazans depend on us for ‘sheer survival’ insists UNRWA
31 January 2025
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said on Tuesday that Gazans rely on them for their basic survival as the organization appealed for more than $1.6 billion to continue its work this year.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said that $848 million was needed to continue providing basic services to nearly 5.7 million registered Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the besieged Gaza Strip and Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
The remaining funds will be used to support emergency appeals, including for Ukraine and Afghanistan, as well as for UNRWA’s pandemic response.
The agency provides education, healthcare, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance to Palestinian refugees who fled or were forced to leave their homes in historic Palestine in 1948.
“For millions of Palestine refugees, UNRWA remains a lifeline, providing essential services that are often the only safety net they have,” said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General. “Without sustained and predictable funding, our ability to meet those critical needs will be severely compromised.”
“I urge donors to step up their support for UNRWA and to ensure that Palestine refugees continue to receive the assistance and protection they need.”
The UNRWA chief said the agency’s operations in Gaza were particularly critical, where the Israeli blockade has created a humanitarian crisis.
“In Gaza, we are the primary provider of basic services to 1.4 million Palestine refugees,” said Lazzarini. “We provide food assistance to over 1 million people, healthcare to over 1.3 million people, and education to over 280,000 children.”
“Without UNRWA, the humanitarian situation in Gaza would be catastrophic.”
The agency said that the funding appeal comes at a time when the global humanitarian landscape is increasingly complex and challenging.
“The war in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict in Syria, the devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are placing unprecedented demands on humanitarian resources,” said Lazzarini.
“In this context, it is more important than ever for donors to prioritize the needs of Palestine refugees.”
The agency said that it is committed to continuing to provide essential services to Palestine refugees, but that it can only do so with the support of the international community.
“We urge donors to step up their support for UNRWA and to ensure that Palestine refugees continue to receive the assistance and protection they need,” said Lazzarini.
Gazans depend on us for ‘sheer survival’ insists UNRWA
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