Amid the intensifying humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) continues to provide critical services, often under extraordinary danger.
In a recent interview with Daily Sabah, UNRWA Senior Communications Manager Jonathan Fowler detailed the organization’s ongoing operations, the challenges it faces and its unwavering commitment to supporting Palestine refugees, particularly children and other vulnerable groups, despite the devastating conditions on the ground.
“Our current projects focus on providing services to Palestinian refugees, as mandated by the United Nations General Assembly since 1949,” Fowler explained. “This mandate has been renewed roughly every three years, reflecting the consistent international support for our work. UNRWA is unique within the U.N. system because we provide services directly. Unlike other U.N. agencies, which work with local institutions, UNRWA delivers medical care through our own staff, educates children in our own schools and performs essential services in refugee camps, such as street sanitation and construction work. In scope, our operations are almost equivalent to governmental services.”
