BEIRUT, Feb. 24 – The suspension of financial support by donor countries to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) will jeopardize the education of 38,000 Palestinian refugee children in Lebanon, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon Dorothee Klaus said on Friday.
The decision to halt funding will have severe repercussions, as 80 percent of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are living in poverty, with half of them living in 12 overcrowded camps and suffering from harsh conditions, Klaus was quoted by Lebanon’s Elnashra news website as saying.
Klaus said her office may not finance its quarterly cash distribution to 65 percent of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
About 200,000 Palestinian refugees visit the agency’s 27 health centers in Lebanon annually to obtain services, including medical consultations, medicines, vaccination of children, services for pregnant women, and general services for patients, including those suffering from chronic diseases, Klaus said.
She added that the UNRWA also supports health care services through hospitals contracted with the agency, which helps provide medical care for more than 50,000 refugees annually, with the UNRWA covering a certain percentage of the costs.
The suspension of funds by donor countries came after Israel accused UNRWA employees in Gaza of taking part in the Hamas attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
As of March 2023, the total number of UNRWA-registered Palestine refugees in Lebanon is 489,292. The registration with the UNRWA is voluntary.
