Syria Crisis

Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide and UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl attend a signing ceremony to formalize support from the Government of Norway to UNRWA. © 2019 UNRWA Photo by Giorgia Alvino.

Norway Contributes US$ 11.5 Million to UNRWA Emergency Services to Palestine Refugees Affected by the Conflict in Syria

The Government of Norway announced its support to UNRWA with the generous amount of US$ 11.5 million in response to the Agency’s Emergency Appeal on the Syria crisis.

Fatmeh holds a photo of her son Baha’a, who was killed in a mortar attack in Syria last year. © 2019 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid Muhammad

A life cut short: The story of an UNRWA student killed by the conflict in Syria

At just 14 years-old Baha’a Mohammed’s life was cut tragically short. He was forced to flee his home twice

UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl meets with a Palestine refugee student in Syria. © 2018 UNRWA Photo

Palestine refugees in Syria: a tale of devastation and courage

Op-ed by Pierre Krähenbühl, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) When last visiting the Yarmouk refugee camp, in Damascus, I was confronted with a scale of devastation unlike anything I had witnessed before in almost three decades of work in war zones around the world. Standing in these fields of ruin, I saw signs everywhere of the appalling human cost of an unforgiving conflict, which has torn apart the lives of millions of Syrians. I was also reminded of what makes the tragedy of Palestine refugees in Syria so particularly unique...

Syria8: Eight years, eight stories

“Over 58,000 Palestine refugee children have been born since the start of the conflict. To mark the 8 th anniversary of this human tragedy, we share the experience of Palestine refugees through the eyes of the children who have grown up during the conflict.”

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Palestine refugees from Syria have been severely affected by the ongoing armed conflict. Of the total 438,000 Palestine refugees from Syria, the vast majority require assistance. Click here to read more.

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Facts and Figures

CASH ASSISTANCE

Cash assistance is a dignified, cost-effective and flexible tool to address the most immediate and urgent needs of vulnerable refugees in crisis. By allowing conflict-affected civilians to independently determine and meet their respective essential priorities, short-term cash assistance boosts individual coping strategies and enables refugees to allocate scarce financial resources to their own household priorities.

In 2018, cash assistance remains the priority intervention in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. The purpose of the regular cash assistance component is to cover basic needs such as food, non-food items (NFI) and shelter.

In Syria, UNRWA is running one of the largest cash assistance programmes anywhere in the world, helping Palestine refugees to meet part of their humanitarian needs with the dignity of choice. In 2018, UNRWA plans to distribute cash grants to 418,000 refugees. Through its partners, comprising a network of banks and private companies present in all regions of Syria, UNRWA provides cash assistance in a flexible and timely manner with minimal financial risk.

In Lebanon, 95 per cent of PRS are food insecure and greatly rely on UNRWA support to cover their basic needs. In 2018, 34,000 Palestine refugees from Syria (PRS) will receive a monthly multipurpose cash grant.

In Jordan, cash will be distributed in 2018 to 17,100 vulnerable and extremely vulnerable PRS. The purpose of the regular cash assistance component is to cover basic needs such as food, NFIs and shelter.

Click here to learn more about refugee camps prior to the start of the conflict in Syria.

Gap 87.50

Coverage 12.50

Funding Requirements

In 2018, UNRWA requires US$ 438 million for its humanitarian response to the Syria crisis, centred on preserving resilience through the provision of humanitarian assistance in the form of cash, food and relief items. UNRWA is also the main provider of basic healthcare to all 438,000 Palestine refugees in Syria as well as providing education to more than 48,000 students. In the nine official camps, the Agency ensures access to basic services including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). As of 1st of September 2018, the Emergency Appeal for Syria is 12,5% funded.

Total Appeal$438,000,000

Received to Date$54,750,000

Gap$383,250,000

Coverage12.50%

Gap87.50%

The Syria Crisis

Into the eighth year of conflict, conditions in Syria remain volatile and marked by continuing and intense armed violence and limited humanitarian access. Amid this unconscionable bloodshed and destruction, Palestine refugees remain particularly vulnerable and have been disproportionately affected by the conflict, due to their proximity to conflict areas inside Syria, high rates of poverty, and the tenuous legal status of those forced to flee to Lebanon and Jordan. The timeline below tells their story.

With thanks to our donors

Our ability to respond depends on the generosity of donors and the guarantee of safe and consistent access to those in need, in accordance with international law. We urge donors to maintain and increase their support in 2018 to mitigate the humanitarian impacts of the crisis in Syria, enhance the protection of civilians and prevent further suffering. We call on all parties to the Syria conflict to urgently pursue a negotiated solution and put an end to the violence, destruction, and violation of rights, dignity and humanity.