Published : 10-01-2020
UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, Christian Saunders, said Palestine refugees in Jordan, including Palestine Refugees from Syria (PRS), face social and economic hardships with dwindling employment opportunities, particularly for women and young people.
“The agency’s severe financial shortfall threatens our ability to sustain our operations and our ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, even to the most vulnerable of the vulnerable”, said Saunders as part of his end-of-year message.
“Despite the challenging political environment and difficult socio-economic conditions, I continue to be amazed by the dignity, determination and resourcefulness of the Palestine refugee women, men and children”, he said. “Everywhere I go in our five areas of operations, I am reminded of the enormous resilience it takes to be a Palestine refugee, as I am reminded of the essential role played by UNRWA and the services we provide in contributing to that resilience.”
He hailed the overwhelming support of 170 states that voted for the renewal of UNRWA’s mandate for another three years at the United Nations General Assembly earlier last month, which he said is also an acknowledgement of the continued need for UNRWA’s services and for the rights of Palestine refugees to be preserved until there is a just and durable solution to their plight.
Last year, in its 2019 Syria Regional Crisis Emergency Appeal, UNRWA said 100% of PRS in Jordan need to receive one or more UNRWA emergency assistance interventions especially during winter. 30% are highly vulnerable and 31% of recorded PRS are members of female-headed households, which increases their vulnerability.
Due to new arrivals and natural population growth, the number of PRS recorded with the UNRWA in Jordan increased from 16,779 inpiduals in October 2017 to 17,719 at the end of October 2018.
PRS who have entered from Syria and remain in Jordan irregularly are living under continuous risk of arrest, detention and potential for forced return to Syria. Their lack of legal status and corresponding protection risks in Jordan are a source of major concern to UNRWA.
After eight years of conflict, Palestinian refugees in and from Syria continue to face significant humanitarian and protection needs. In the absence of a durable political settlement, intense hostilities and violence resulting in deaths and injuries, internal displacement, loss of livelihoods, decreases in the provision of public services, and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure have disrupted the lives of civilians and severely undermined coping mechanisms.
According to the Agency’s database, of the estimated 438,000 Palestine refugees remaining inside Syria, over 95 per cent (418,000) are in critical need of sustained humanitarian assistance. Some 254,000 Palestine refugees have been displaced at least once since the beginning of the conflict and an estimated 13,500 are trapped in hard-to reach or inaccessible locations.
UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, Christian Saunders, said Palestine refugees in Jordan, including Palestine Refugees from Syria (PRS), face social and economic hardships with dwindling employment opportunities, particularly for women and young people.
“The agency’s severe financial shortfall threatens our ability to sustain our operations and our ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, even to the most vulnerable of the vulnerable”, said Saunders as part of his end-of-year message.
“Despite the challenging political environment and difficult socio-economic conditions, I continue to be amazed by the dignity, determination and resourcefulness of the Palestine refugee women, men and children”, he said. “Everywhere I go in our five areas of operations, I am reminded of the enormous resilience it takes to be a Palestine refugee, as I am reminded of the essential role played by UNRWA and the services we provide in contributing to that resilience.”
He hailed the overwhelming support of 170 states that voted for the renewal of UNRWA’s mandate for another three years at the United Nations General Assembly earlier last month, which he said is also an acknowledgement of the continued need for UNRWA’s services and for the rights of Palestine refugees to be preserved until there is a just and durable solution to their plight.
Last year, in its 2019 Syria Regional Crisis Emergency Appeal, UNRWA said 100% of PRS in Jordan need to receive one or more UNRWA emergency assistance interventions especially during winter. 30% are highly vulnerable and 31% of recorded PRS are members of female-headed households, which increases their vulnerability.
Due to new arrivals and natural population growth, the number of PRS recorded with the UNRWA in Jordan increased from 16,779 inpiduals in October 2017 to 17,719 at the end of October 2018.
PRS who have entered from Syria and remain in Jordan irregularly are living under continuous risk of arrest, detention and potential for forced return to Syria. Their lack of legal status and corresponding protection risks in Jordan are a source of major concern to UNRWA.
After eight years of conflict, Palestinian refugees in and from Syria continue to face significant humanitarian and protection needs. In the absence of a durable political settlement, intense hostilities and violence resulting in deaths and injuries, internal displacement, loss of livelihoods, decreases in the provision of public services, and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure have disrupted the lives of civilians and severely undermined coping mechanisms.
According to the Agency’s database, of the estimated 438,000 Palestine refugees remaining inside Syria, over 95 per cent (418,000) are in critical need of sustained humanitarian assistance. Some 254,000 Palestine refugees have been displaced at least once since the beginning of the conflict and an estimated 13,500 are trapped in hard-to reach or inaccessible locations.
