In 2017, US$ 402 million was required to cover the cost of emergency interventions in the oPt; however, as of 31 October, only US$ 138 million had been pledged, corresponding to 34.3 per cent of the total financial requirements. UNRWA would like to acknowledge the continued and generous support from its many donors that have allowed the Agency to provide emergency assistance to Gaza and the West Bank since the outbreak of the second intifada in 2000. Within a global environment characterised by increasing humanitarian need and competing demands on resources, UNRWA may continue to face challenges in raising funds for emergency interventions in 2018 that could translate into: (i) reduced food assistance and/or Cash-for-Work (CfW) opportunities, leading to increased food insecurity levels; (ii) diminished access to psychosocial support that would further stretch Palestine refugee resilience and well-being; and/or (iii) diminished protective support for the most vulnerable, including women, persons with disabilities, and survivors of home demolitions and evictions. Emergency assistance provided by UNRWA constitutes the minimum support necessary to meet the critical needs of Palestine refugees. A reduction in such support could have a destabilising effect on the oPt. The humanitarian problems faced by Palestine refugees today must be addressed as a matter of shared international responsibility, pending a just and durable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the Palestine refugee question, in accordance with international law and relevant General Assembly resolutions.
The 2018 EA addresses the priority humanitarian needs of Palestine refugees in Gaza and the West Bank.
