Palestinian Refugees and Unrwa

Overview

Oxfam GB has been working with Palestinian refugees for fifty years, supporting initiatives in health, education and livelihoods. It currently supports projects which involve refugees in Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories, in the fields of vocational training, early childhood development, and gender. Within the framework of its programme and advocacy interests in the Middle East, Oxfam GB is increasingly concerned with the deteriorating position of Palestinian refugees. The shortfall in UNRWA’s General Fund budget in recent years, coupled with the depletion of its reserves, is already putting a huge strain on the social service infrastructure. Furthermore, there are growing indications of an actual decline in the health and education status of refugees.
This crisis comes at a time of sharp economic downturn for many refugees, compounding their more vulnerable position compared with non-refugees in terms of poverty, living conditions, and the range of refugee-specific social problems.