You are here

Home » ECHO support makes critical difference for Palestine refugees in Syria

ECHO support makes critical difference for Palestine refugees in Syria

04 December 2015

The protracted crisis in Syria has deepened the vulnerability of Palestine refugees living in the country. More than 95 per cent of the 450,000 Palestine refugees in Syria are reliant on UNRWA to meet their basic daily needs, including food, shelter and health care. The support of donors such as the European Commission makes a critical difference for the refugees. This year, the Commission has donated EUR 5 million in humanitarian aid to UNRWA, including EUR 2 million for its cash assistance programme, which gives refugees the choice to prioritize spending on their most urgent needs.

Palestine refugees in Syria – like the rest of the population there – have never been more in need. After more than four years of conflict, displacement and hardship, 95 per cent of the 450,000 Palestine refugees in the country now rely on UNRWA for their minimum daily needs. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadSyria’s economy and infrastructure is in a state of near-collapse, which has had a catastrophic impact on civilians. In 2014, unemployment reached 58 per cent, and four out of five Syrians lived below the poverty line. Infrastructure, including water, sanitation and electricity, has been widely damaged. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadMore than 280,000 Palestine refugees in Syria have been internally displaced at least once, leaving behind their homes, family members and livelihoods. Another 80,000 Palestine refugees have fled to neighbouring countries including Jordan and Lebanon, where they face an uncertain future and limited legal options. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadMore than 12,000 of the most vulnerable Palestine refugees are living in temporary collective shelters established by UNRWA in former schools. Each classroom houses up to three families, with others living in tents pitched in the school yard. Neither option provides sufficient protection from the extremes of the Syrian climate, which can be blisteringly hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. In the photo, a man finds shelter in a school in Dummar, Damascus. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadCash assistance, made possible with the generous support of donors like the European Commission, makes a huge difference to the lives of Palestine refugees in Syria. In a recent evaluation by UNRWA, recipients voted cash assistance as the most useful form of humanitarian support, giving them the flexibility to respond to their changing needs and urgent requirements. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadSafa’a, a mother of two, and her family have been displaced three times since the Syrian crisis began in 2011. Originally from Damascus, they now live in a single room in a small village in Dera’a and rely on Safa’a’s husband’s sporadic income as a casual labourer. Safa’a plans to use her cash assistance to buy her children food and a change of clothes. “We escaped violence and fighting but not hardship. As the conflict continues, this assistance represents an increasingly important source of support to us,Most recipients of EU-funded cash assistance spend the largest part of their cash assistance (71 per cent) on food and rental costs, which have risen sharply as a result of soaring inflation in Syria. The price of rice, a staple in the Middle Eastern diet, has risen by 500 per cent since the start of the crisis in 2011. A recent evaluation by UNRWA found that beneficiaries are able to ensure a minimum daily calorie intake with the help of the cash assistance. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadFemale-headed households and those who are renting housing are significantly more food insecure and more likely to have children who skip two or more meals per week despite the cash assistance. One mother in Damascus is faced with paying an annual rental of SYP 105,000 (EUR 423) to house her four children. “I face enormous hardship, and I struggle to put food on my table and buy milk for my children,” she said. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadMany elderly beneficiaries of cash assistance spend the money they receive on health-related costs, including medicine for sick family members. The cost of medical care (including pharmaceuticals, hospitalizations and private care) has risen by 60 per cent since the start of the Syrian conflict. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadCash assistance will remain the most important part of the Agency’s emergency response as the crisis in Syria continues unabated. So far in 2015, UNRWA has undertaken two rounds of cash assistance, getting help to more than 700,000 Palestine refugees. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid Mohammad

Follow us