The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was created by General Assembly resolution 302 (IV) on 8 December 1949 and began operations on 1 May 1950, following the displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab–Israeli war. It was conceived as a temporary body, but its mandate has been renewed by the General Assembly in successive three-year cycles ever since because a political resolution to the refugee question has not been reached.
UNRWA operates in five fields: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), and the Gaza Strip. It serves registered Palestine refugees — descendants of those displaced in 1948 — providing primary and vocational education, primary health care, relief and social services, microfinance, and emergency assistance. The agency runs hundreds of schools and health clinics and is one of the largest UN operations by staff, employing mostly Palestinian local personnel.
Unlike the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which covers refugees globally under the 1951 Refugee Convention, UNRWA has a separate mandate and definition specific to Palestine refugees, and it does not have a protection or resettlement mandate in the same form. Palestine refugees are explicitly excluded from UNHCR's mandate under Article 1D of the 1951 Convention so long as UNRWA assistance continues.
UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states and the European Union, which makes its budget chronically unstable. The United States, historically the largest donor, suspended funding in 2018 under the Trump administration, resumed it under the Biden administration in 2021, and paused contributions again in January 2024 amid Israeli allegations that some staff participated in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack. An independent review led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, published in April 2024, examined the agency's neutrality mechanisms.
The agency is led by a Commissioner-General who reports directly to the General Assembly.
Example
In January 2024, several donor states including the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom paused funding to UNRWA after Israel accused twelve staff members of involvement in the 7 October 2023 attacks.
Frequently asked questions
UNRWA has a geographically and demographically specific mandate covering Palestine refugees in five fields of operation, while UNHCR has a global mandate under the 1951 Refugee Convention. Palestine refugees receiving UNRWA assistance are excluded from UNHCR's mandate by Article 1D of that convention.
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