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.