Today, Sunday, December 8, 2019, marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), as it faces challenges that threaten its viability.
UNRWA was established by General Assembly Resolution No. 302, and renewed its mandate every three years until a just solution is found to the Palestinian cause, while its headquarters are in Vienna and Amman.
The agency began carrying out its relief tasks on May 1, 1950, when it received refugee records from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
UNRWA works to provide assistance to more than 5 million refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza Strip , while it relies on support through voluntary donations to member states of the United Nations, and the United States was considered one of the most supportive countries where it was providing Annually, a total of approximately $ 370 million, before withholding and fighting its assistance to the agency last year.
The agency provides education, health care, relief and infrastructure services, camp improvement, community support, microcredit and emergency response in times of armed conflict.
According to UNRWA, she identified the Palestinian refugee as the person who was residing in Palestine during the period from June 1, 1946 to May 15, 1948 and who lost his home and livelihood as a result of the war of 1948. Accordingly, it is the Palestinian refugees who are entitled to receive aid from UNRWA who meet the above definition in addition To their children.
Today, the agency is going through an unprecedented financial crisis that is the worst in its history, in light of American and Israeli attempts to liquidate it and end its work and services for more than 5 million refugees.
The Agency´s financial deficit amounts to about $ 322 million, which is the amount it needs to continue its work, and on the thirteenth of this month, member states in the United Nations General Assembly will vote to renew UNRWA´s mandate for another three years in light of positive indicators to support it, especially after the 170 vote A state in favor of extending its mandate until the end of June 2023 by meeting the Special Committee for Policy and Decolonization, "the Fourth Committee", in exchange for objections from Israel and the United States, and 7 countries abstaining from voting.
