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Six years into the crisis: supporting Palestine refugees through the Syria crisis

20 April 2016

UNRWA remains committed to support Palestine refugees in Syria through one of the gravest crises they have faced in decades. Six years into the crisis, the Agency continues to provide both humanitarian and human development programmes to help support the resilience of Palestine refugees and mitigate their specific vulnerabilities. 

Barred from entering Jordan legally since 2013, and Lebanon since May 2014, many Palestine refugees have had no choice but to stay in Syria, sometimes in areas of active conflict, and rely almost exclusively on UNRWA services to survive. 

Since its establishment in 1949, UNRWA has been mandated to provide relief and services to Palestine refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Gaza and the West Bank until a just solution is found to their plight. Time and again, Palestine refugees have faced repeated humanitarian, protection and development crises and challenges, testing their resilience to the limit. For the last 65 years, UNRWA has remained steadfast in its commitment to fulfil its mandate and support Palestine refugees in all five fields of operations.

In Syria, over 4,000 UNRWA staff are mobilized to serve the needs of the 450,000 estimated to remain in the country. Against all odds and at great personal risk, they continue to deliver humanitarian assistance, including cash and food assistance, as well as access to basic services such as education, primary health care, social services, and vocational training courses. 

In 2016, UNRWA requires US$ 414 million dollars to sustain its humanitarian support to Palestine refugees in Syria and those who fled to Lebanon, Jordan and Gaza.

Palestine refugees have exhausted their resources. Their families have scattered because of forced displacement, and about 95 per cent out of the 450,000 remaining in Syria rely on the Agency for support. Husseiniyeh. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadFemale-headed households make up around 30 per cent of the 3,916 Palestine refugee families from Syria who fled to Jordan. Zarqa, Jordan. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Sahem RababaOver 60 per cent of the 560,000 Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA have been displaced throughout Syria and further afield. Qabr Essit camp, Sayyidat Zeinab. © 2014 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadNinety per cent of the Palestine refugees from Syria in Lebanon are poor and 1 in 10 live in extreme poverty. Ein El Hilweh camp, Lebanon. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Ali HachichoThousands of Palestinians in Syria are trapped in areas of active conflict with extremely constrained access to humanitarian assistance. In February, for the first time in eight months, UNRWA delivered food, blankets and hygiene kits to approximately 6,000 families from Yarmouk camp and the surrounding area. Yalda, Damascus. © 2016 UNRWA PhotoCash assistance remains the most critical form of our support to Palestine refugees in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. To cover the needs of those remaining in Syria, this year alone, UNRWA is appealing for over US$ 329 million. Damascus. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadUNRWA operates 15 health centres throughout Syria, with a further 11 health points in areas with significant populations of displaced Palestine refugees. Safad collective shelter, Damascus. © 2015 UNRWA PhotoIn many instances, UNRWA schools have been caught in the cross-fire. Over 68 UNRWA schools have been damaged, destroyed or are inaccessible. Husseiniyeh. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid Mohammad“Dear Children: You are the hope of the future and the nation,” reads the sign found in an UNRWA school in Husseiniyeh. UNICEF estimates over 2.8 million students are out of school in Syria. Today, we have approximately 45,000 students enrolled in 99 schools run and administrated by UNRWA. Husseiniyeh. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadGenerations of Palestine refugees await a just solution to their plight. Stateless, their vulnerability and overall sense of insecurity is further exacerbated with every conflict affecting them in the region. Beddawi camp,Lebanon. © 2015 UNRWA Photo by Maysoun Mustapha

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