The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) launched today a $94.6 million COVID-19 Appeal, required by the Agency to mitigate the worst impacts of the pandemic on 5.6 million registered Palestine refugees in the Middle East until the end of December 2020, with a special focus on health, cash assistance and education.
Since July, COVID-19 cases have worryingly surged in the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, with more recent increases in Jordan and the first instances of local transmission in Gaza recorded in late-August. The Appeal is crucial for controlling the spread of the pandemic in Palestine refugee camps and to help prevent a major outbreak.
The Agency’s initial appeal allowed for the continued provision of health and hospitalization, as well as the adoption of measures that largely helped contain the spread of the virus, such as home delivery of medicines, telemedicine and triage systems.
“UNRWA will continue the strict measures it put in place as a result of COVID-19 at least until the end of December,” said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. “This new flash Appeal will sustain our health, education and emergency services. In parallel, we will step up relief interventions to address the growing poverty and despair among Palestine refugees.”
Lazzarini noted: “I call on our global partners to continue helping millions of Palestine refugees stay safe. In these uncertain times, the predictability of the Agency’s services, particularly health and education, help maintain a sense of normality and stability in Palestine refugee communities.”
