The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) launched an appeal for $ 94.6 million for the Covid-19 pandemic.
The agency indicated, in a statement, today, Friday, that it is requesting this funding in order to mitigate the worst effects of the pandemic on more than 5.6 million Palestine refugees registered with it in the Middle East, for a period ending at the end of December 2020, with special focus on Health, cash aid, and education.
She added that, since last July, cases of Covid-19 virus (Corona) have been increasing alarmingly in the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, with more cases recorded recently in Jordan, and the first local transmission of the virus was recorded in Gaza in late August, confirming This appeal is necessary in order to control the spread of the epidemic in the Palestine refugee camps, and also to help prevent a major outbreak.
The agency indicated that the previous appeal allowed it to continue providing health services and hospitalization services, in addition to adopting measures that greatly helped contain the spread of the virus, such as home delivery of medicines, telemedicine and medical triage systems.
In this regard, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philip Lazzarini said, “The Agency will continue to take drastic measures as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic until at least the end of December. This new urgent appeal will work to sustain our health, education and emergency services. In parallel, we will work to raise it. Our relief interventions in response to increasing poverty and despair among Palestine refugees. "
He continued: The repercussions of the closures related to the Covid-19 virus have paralyzed economies across the region, leaving millions without a stable source of income, and therefore UNRWA will support Palestine refugees with cash and food aid. In Gaza, the Agency provided a home delivery service for food parcels from March to August. Special measures to mitigate risks will be introduced in food distribution centers if the situation allows for the resumption of regular distributions. In Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Gaza, UNRWA will provide cash assistance to nearly one million refugees. In view of the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the West Bank, which includes East Jerusalem, UNRWA will provide support to families in quarantine with food and non-food items.
He added: This fall, UNRWA will receive more than half a million students who will "return to learning" in all of its five fields of operations, using a range of innovative methods, including face teaching and rotating education, stressing that UNRWA in this regard gives The priority for the safety of school students and their families, and all possible measures will be taken to ensure a safe learning environment for students.
"I call on our global partners to continue to help millions of Palestine refugees stay safe. In these turbulent times, the predictability of the Agency´s services, specifically health and education, helps maintain a sense of normality and stability in Palestine refugee communities," Lazarini added.
