Press Releases

The purpose of this brochure is to highlight how the lack of financial and political support for UNRWA by the international community has resulted in a significant decrease and reduction in the services that UNRWA should provide to an increasing refugee population. UNRWA was established in 1949 with UN General Assembly Resolution 302 (IV) to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees and, to date, UNRWA provides services to registered Palestinian refugees through five main programs: education, health, relief and social services, microfinance, and emergency assistance. It also provides refugee camps with infrastructure and basic improvements and carries out specific emergency response programs where necessary.

With every year, UNRWA has been experiencing a sharp decrease in the funding it receives, primarily because of the structural issue of state contributions being voluntary, political influence in the form of conditional funding, and Zionist campaigns that culminate in the Israeli demonization and delegitimation of the agency. The weaknesses of the PLO and the marginalization of refugees’ rights within the Oslo framework further increases the strain placed on UNRWA and not only widens the protection gap for Palestinian refugees, but significantly impairs UNRWA’s ability to fulfill its mandate and provide assistance. UNRWA’s updated statistics bulletin reflects this crisis.