UNRWA

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East ( UNRWA ) is a relief and human development agency, providing education, health care, social services and emergency aid to over four hundred thousand Palestine refugees living in Jordan , Lebanon and Syria , as well as in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip . It is the only agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict. It is separate from UNHCR , the UN Refugee Agency, which is the only other UN agency aiding refugees, dedicated to aiding all refugees in the world. It was established following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War by the United Nations General Assembly under resolution 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949. This resolution also reaffirmed paragraph 11, concerning refugees, of UN General Assembly Resolution 194 and was passed unopposed, supported by Israel and the Arab states, with only the Soviet bloc and South Africa abstaining. UNRWA has had to develop a working definition of " refugee " to allow it to provide humanitarian assistance . This maintained that beneficiaries had to have lived in the British Mandate of Palestine for at least two years before fleeing and must have lost both their home and livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, or be the descendant of someone who had. Most of UNRWA's funding comes from European countries and the United States. The UNRWA definition is meant solely to determine eligibility for UNRWA assistance, although some argue it serves to perpetuate the conflict. Under General Assembly Resolution 194 (III ), of 11 December 1948, other persons may be eligible for repatriation and/or compensation but are not necessarily eligible for relief under the UNRWA's working definition. Thus a person who is not or who has ceased to be regarded as a refugee by the UN Commissioner for Human Rights definition may still qualify as a refugee by the UNRWA definition. All Palestine refugees (as defined) who are registered with UNRWA and are in need of assistance are eligible for help from UNRWA. In 2004, there were 4 million qualified Palestine refugees registered with the UNRWA. UNRWA provides facilities in 59 recognized refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It also provided relief to displaced persons inside the state of Israel following the 1948 conflict until the Israeli government took over responsibility for them in 1952. UNRWA does not itself run any camps, has no police powers or administrative role, but simply provides services to the camp. Refugee camps , which developed from tent cities to rows of concrete blockhouses to urban ghettos indistinguishable from their surroundings, house around one third of all registered Palestine refugees. UNRWA also provides facilities in other areas where large numbers of registered Palestine refugees live outside of recognized camps. UNRWA has been criticized by Israeli officials, who have claimed it supports terrorism and militancy. The Arab-Israeli Dilemma (3rd edition) . [1] ISRAELI RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON PALESTINE RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY CRITICIZED BY SPEAKERS IN FOURTH COMMITTEE, November 2001 For criticism, see the references in the "Criticism" and "Relations with Israel" sections below.

Created in December 1949, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East ( UNRWA ) is a relief and human development agency, originally intended to provide jobs on public works projects and direct relief for 652,000 Arab Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes during the fighting that followed the end of the British mandate over the region of Palestine. It also provided relief to Jewish and Arab Palestine refugees inside the state of Israel following the 1948 conflict until the Israeli government took over responsibility for Jewish refugees in 1952. In the absence of a solution to the Palestine refugee problem, the General Assembly has repeatedly renewed UNRWA's mandate, most recently extending it until 30 June 2017. Today, UNRWA provides education, health care and social services to the 5 million registered Palestine refugees from the 1948 and 1967 wars, a number which includes all their descendants. Aid is provided to Palestinian refugees living in Jordan , Lebanon and Syria , as well as those in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip . UNRWA is the only agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict and is separate from UNHCR . Formed in 1950, UNHCR is the UN main Refugee Agency, which is responsible for aiding other refugees all over the world. UNHCR, unlike UNRWA, has a specific mandate to aid its refugees to eliminate their refugee status by local integration in current country, resettlement in a third country or repatriation when possible. UNRWA allows refugee status to be inherited by descendants. Persons who meet UNRWA's Palestine Refugee criteria These are persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict. Palestine Refugees, and descendants of Palestine refugee males, including legally adopted children, are eligible to register for UNRWA services. The Agency accepts new applications from persons who wish to be registered as Palestine Refugees. Once they are registered with UNRWA, persons in this category are referred to as Registered Refugees or as Registered Palestine Refugees.

UNRWA operations, as of 1 January 2017 The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East ( UNRWA ) is an UN agency created in December 1949 to support the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees . The UNRWA definition of “refugee” covers Palestinian who fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 Palestine War . UNRWA also provides assistance, but not refugee status, to those who fled or were expelled during and following the 1967 Six Day War . They also apply refugee status to their patrilineal descendants. Originally intended to provide jobs on public works projects and direct relief, today UNRWA provides education, health care, and social services to the population it supports. Currently, more than 5 million Palestinians are registered with UNRWA as refugees. Aid is provided in five areas of operation: Jordan , Lebanon , Syria , the Gaza Strip and the West Bank , including East Jerusalem ; aid for Palestinian refugees outside these five areas is provided by UNHCR . It also provided relief to Jewish and Arab Palestine refugees inside the State of Israel following the 1948 conflict until the Israeli government took over responsibility for Jewish refugees in 1952. The UN General Assembly has repeatedly renewed UNRWA's mandate, most recently on 13 December 2019, extending it until 30 June 2023. UNRWA is the only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict and is separate from UNHCR . Formed in 1950, UNHCR is the main UN refugee agency, which is responsible for aiding other refugees all over the world. Unlike UNRWA, UNHCR has a specific mandate to aid its refugees to eliminate their refugee status by local integration in current country, resettlement in a third country or repatriation when possible. UNRWA allows refugee status to be inherited by descendants of male refugee, including legally adopted children. Persons who meet UNRWA's Palestine Refugee criteria These are persons whose regular place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict. Palestine Refugees, and descendants of Palestine refugee males, including legally adopted children, are eligible to register for UNRWA services. The agency accepts new applications from persons who wish to be registered as Palestine Refugees. Once they are registered with UNRWA, persons in this category are referred to as Registered Refugees or as Registered Palestine Refugees.

United Nations agency to support Palestinian refugees UNRWA operations, as of 1 January 2017 The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East ( UNRWA ) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees . UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 Palestine War and subsequent conflicts, as well as their descendants, including legally adopted children. As of 2019, more than 5.6 million Palestinians are registered with UNRWA as refugees. UNRWA was established in 1949 by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to provide relief to all refugees resulting from the 1948 conflict. It also provided relief to Jewish and Arab Palestine refugees inside the State of Israel following the 1948 conflict until the Israeli government took over responsibility for them in 1952. As a subsidiary body of the UNGA, UNRWA's mandate is subject to periodic renewal every three years; it has consistently been extended since its founding, most recently until 30 June 2023. UNRWA employs over 30,000 people, most of them Palestinian refugees, and a small number of international staff. Originally intended to provide employment and direct relief, its mandate has broadened to include providing education, health care, and social services to its target population. UNRWA operates in five areas: Jordan , Lebanon , Syria , the Gaza Strip and the West Bank , including East Jerusalem ; aid for Palestinian refugees outside these five areas is provided by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). UNRWA is the only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict. It is distinct from the UNHCR, established in 1950 as the main agency to aid all other refugees worldwide. Unlike UNRWA, UNHCR has a specific mandate to assist refugees in eliminating their refugee status by local integration in the current country, resettlement in a third country or repatriation when possible. Persons who meet UNRWA's Palestine Refugee criteria These are persons whose regular place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict. Palestine Refugees, and descendants of Palestine refugee males, including legally adopted children, are eligible to register for UNRWA services. The agency accepts new applications from persons who wish to be registered as Palestine Refugees. Once they are registered with UNRWA, persons in this category are referred to as Registered Refugees or as Registered Palestine Refugees. "Late in June, an agreement was concluded with Israel whereby that Government assumed responsibility for the care of the remaining 19,000 refugees in that country as of 1 July 1952." Howard Adelman, Elazar Barkan (28 June 2011). To use a trite image, while UNHCR strives to give its refugees fishing rods, UNRWA is busy distributing fish

UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees UNRWA operations, as of 1 January 2017 UNRWA staff member comforts a distressed child at a school shelter in Nuseirat camp, Gaza Strip The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East ( UNRWA , pronounced / ˈ ʌ n r ə / UN -rə ) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees . UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians who fled or were expelled during the Nakba , the 1948 Palestine war , and subsequent conflicts, as well as their descendants, including legally adopted children. As of 2019, more than 5.6 million Palestinians are registered with UNRWA as refugees. UNRWA was established in 1949 by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to provide relief to all refugees resulting from the 1948 conflict; this initially included Jewish and Arab Palestine refugees inside the State of Israel until the Israeli government took over this responsibility in 1952. As a subsidiary body of the UNGA, UNRWA's mandate is subject to periodic renewal every three years; it has consistently been extended since its founding, most recently until 30 June 2026. UNRWA employs over 30,000 people, most of them Palestinian refugees, and a small number of international staff. Originally intended to provide employment and direct relief, its mandate has broadened to include providing education, health care, and social services to its target population. UNRWA operates in five areas: Jordan , Lebanon , Syria , the Gaza Strip and the West Bank , including East Jerusalem ; aid for Palestinian refugees outside these five areas is provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), established in 1950 as the main agency to aid all other refugees worldwide. UNRWA is the only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict. UNRWA has received praise and recognition for its work by various governments, public figures, and independent monitors. It has also been subject to controversy related to its operations, role in the Gaza Strip, relationship with Hamas , and textbook content. Most recently, the agency faced allegations by the Israeli government that twelve of its employees were involved in the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel , leading to lay-offs, an investigation, and the temporary suspension of funding by numerous donors. As of May 2024, several major donors have since resumed funding as the investigation remains ongoing. In October 2024, Israel's parliament passed a bill designating UNRWA as a terrorist group and prohibiting it from operating within the country. Israel has long opposed the Palestinian right of return and has accused UNRWA of "perpetuating the refugee issue". In January 2025, Israel's UNRWA ban went into effect. Persons who meet UNRWA's Palestine Refugee criteria These are persons whose regular place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict. Palestine Refugees, and descendants of Palestine refugee males, including legally adopted children, are eligible to register for UNRWA services. The agency accepts new applications from persons who wish to be registered as Palestine Refugees. Once they are registered with UNRWA, persons in this category are referred to as Registered Refugees or as Registered Palestine Refugees. "Late in June, an agreement was concluded with Israel whereby that Government assumed responsibility for the care of the remaining 19,000 refugees in that country as of 1 July 1952." Howard Adelman, Elazar Barkan (28 June 2011). The Wall Street Journal . "Serious allegations against UNRWA staff in the Gaza Strip: Statement by Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General" . "UNRWA claims: UK halts aid to UN agency over allegation staff helped Hamas attack" . 26 January 2024. "Another top donor says it will resume funding the UN agency for Palestinians as Gaza hunger grows" . DC (ACW), Arab Center Washington (10 December 2024). There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).