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UK Aid supports immediate Palestine refugee needs in Syria
As the conflict in Syria continues into its fifth year, Palestine refugees in Syria are struggling to meet their most basic needs. The economy of Syria is near collapse and unemployment is soaring, reaching 58 per cent this year. Against the backdrop of poverty, displacement and insecurity, cash assistance from UNRWA can make a critical and demonstrable difference to their daily lives.
Cash assistance means that Palestine refugees can replace their lost incomes and meet some of their minimum daily needs. In a recent UNRWA evaluation, 95 per cent Palestine refugees indicated cash to be the most useful form of humanitarian assistance. It gives beneficiaries the dignity to adapt their spending to address their most pressing needs.
In 2015, cash assistance remains the cornerstone of the Agency’s emergency response in Syria. Last year, UK Aid gave UNRWA GBP 5.9 million (US$ 9.1 million) in funding for cash assistance, announcing an additional GBP 2.2 million (US$ 3.6 million) in support in December 2014. As a result, UNRWA was able to conduct one round of cash assistance between January and March of this year, providing US$ 64 per beneficiary to 446,502 Palestine refugees throughout Syria.
A second round of cash assistance commenced on 31 May. However, without significant additional funding, UNRWA will be unable to provide Palestine refugees in Syria with this critical support beyond August 2015.