The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, UNRWA, warned on Wednesday of the growth needs of Palestinian refugees, in the Gaza Strip, which exceed their financial support.
In its emergency report on the crisis in Gaza, UNRWA noted an increased demand for services resulting from the growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty.
“UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. As a result, the UNRWA Programme Budget, which supports the delivery of core essential services, operates with a large shortfall, projected for 2016 to stand at US$ 74 million,” UNRWA said.
UNRWA added that its emergency programmes and key projects, also operating with large shortfalls, are funded through separate funding portals.
Following the 2014 conflict, $257 million USD has been pledged in support of UNRWA’s emergency shelter programme, for which an estimated US$ 720 million is required. This leaves a current shortfall of US$ 463 million, UNRWA warned.
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In the same context, UNRWA urgently appealed to donors to generously contribute to its emergency shelter programme to provide displaced Palestine refugees in Gaza with rental subsidies or cash assistance to undertake repair works and reconstruction of their damaged homes.
The report additionally noted that the agency is seeking US$ 403 million to meet the minimum humanitarian needs of Palestine refugees in the oPt. The Agency requires US$ 355.95 million for programme interventions in Gaza, including US$ 109.7 million for emergency food assistance, US$ 142.3 million for emergency shelter assistance, US$ 60.4 million for emergency cash-for-work assistance, US$ 4.4 million for emergency health/mobile health clinics and US$ 3.1 for education in emergencies.
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