Published : 17-05-2022
Director of UNRWA Affairs in Syria Amanya Michael-Ebye stated: “Some 1200 families have returned to Yarmouk; they live amidst rubble and possibly around unexploded devices, in very dire conditions.”
“Eleven years of conflict, displacement, soaring inflation, loss of livelihoods and now two years of COVID-19 all make their life untenable. UNRWA assistance to Palestine refugees in Syria and in neighbouring countries is often their only lifeline and their last source of support”, said Amanya.
“The financial challenges that UNRWA faces restrict our ability to truly respond to the needs. Our staff are under tremendous pressure to deliver critical services, with restricted resources,” Amanya added.
This came at the VI Brussels conference on “Supporting the Future of Syria and of the Region”, where the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reiterated its call to support Palestine refugees in Syria and in neighboring countries
There are nearly 440,000 Palestine refugees who still live in Syria and 50,000 between Jordan and Lebanon, having fled the conflict in search of safety. Almost all of them live under the poverty line and face immense daily challenges, including difficult access to sufficient food to feed themselves and their families. Most of them live on less than US$ 2 per day.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said: “The Palestine refugees in Syria live in very dire conditions. After 11 years of conflict, some have returned to their destroyed homes because they can no longer afford rent outside. These refugees need schools, clinics and social protection.”
Since the start of the conflict, many UNRWA installations inside Syria, such as schools and health centres, have either been totally destroyed or sustained severe damage. Forty per cent of UNRWA classrooms were lost and almost 25 per cent of the Agency’s health centres are currently unusable. UNRWA in Syria has also lost 19 staff members during the 11-year conflict.
Director of UNRWA Affairs in Syria Amanya Michael-Ebye stated: “Some 1200 families have returned to Yarmouk; they live amidst rubble and possibly around unexploded devices, in very dire conditions.”
“Eleven years of conflict, displacement, soaring inflation, loss of livelihoods and now two years of COVID-19 all make their life untenable. UNRWA assistance to Palestine refugees in Syria and in neighbouring countries is often their only lifeline and their last source of support”, said Amanya.
“The financial challenges that UNRWA faces restrict our ability to truly respond to the needs. Our staff are under tremendous pressure to deliver critical services, with restricted resources,” Amanya added.
This came at the VI Brussels conference on “Supporting the Future of Syria and of the Region”, where the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reiterated its call to support Palestine refugees in Syria and in neighboring countries
There are nearly 440,000 Palestine refugees who still live in Syria and 50,000 between Jordan and Lebanon, having fled the conflict in search of safety. Almost all of them live under the poverty line and face immense daily challenges, including difficult access to sufficient food to feed themselves and their families. Most of them live on less than US$ 2 per day.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said: “The Palestine refugees in Syria live in very dire conditions. After 11 years of conflict, some have returned to their destroyed homes because they can no longer afford rent outside. These refugees need schools, clinics and social protection.”
Since the start of the conflict, many UNRWA installations inside Syria, such as schools and health centres, have either been totally destroyed or sustained severe damage. Forty per cent of UNRWA classrooms were lost and almost 25 per cent of the Agency’s health centres are currently unusable. UNRWA in Syria has also lost 19 staff members during the 11-year conflict.
