The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was established by General Assembly resolution 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949 and began operations on 1 May 1950. It was created in the aftermath of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war to provide direct relief and works programmes to Palestine refugees, pending a political resolution of their situation.
Unlike most refugee populations worldwide—who fall under the mandate of UNHCR and the 1951 Refugee Convention—Palestine refugees are served by a dedicated agency with its own working definition. UNRWA defines Palestine refugees as persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict, together with their patrilineal descendants. The agency operates in five fields: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
Core services include:
- Education through a network of schools serving hundreds of thousands of pupils
- Primary health care via clinics across the five fields
- Relief and social services, including support for those in extreme hardship
- Microfinance, camp infrastructure, and emergency assistance
UNRWA has no independent assessed budget; it depends almost entirely on voluntary contributions from UN member states and the European Union, which produces recurring funding crises. The General Assembly renews its mandate periodically, most recently on three-year cycles.
The agency has been politically contested. The United States suspended funding in 2018 under the Trump administration, resumed it under President Biden in 2021, and several donors paused contributions in early 2024 after Israeli allegations that some UNRWA staff participated in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks; an independent review led by Catherine Colonna reported in April 2024. In late 2024 the Israeli Knesset passed legislation restricting UNRWA's operations in Israeli-controlled territory, prompting concern from the UN Secretary-General and multiple member states.
Example
In January 2024, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom and several other donors temporarily paused UNRWA funding after Israel alleged that a small number of agency staff participated in the 7 October 2023 attacks.
Frequently asked questions
UNRWA serves only Palestine refugees in five specific fields of operation, while UNHCR handles refugees globally under the 1951 Refugee Convention. The two agencies have separate mandates, definitions, and funding structures.
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