On 25 July, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) held a ceremony at the Burj Shemali camp to celebrate three years of cooperation to improve the living and health conditions of Palestine refugees in Lebanon through rehabilitation works with the support of the European Union (EU).
The project, ‘Improvement of Housing and Health Conditions of the Most Vulnerable Palestine Refugees in Lebanon’, funded by the EU with EUR 400,000, helped rehabilitate over 440 shelters in 9 out of the 12 camps in Lebanon, ensuring that the beneficiary families are able to live in safe and healthy shelters. The project also entailed rehabilitation works to three health centres in Saida, Ein El Hilweh and Burj Shemali camps.
The Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, Gwyn Lewis, said: “Today I would like to recognize the hard work and achievements of this project as we stand inside the rehabilitated Burj Shemali Health Centre, a health centre that, prior to its rehabilitation, was struggling to cope with the needs of the camp’s population.”
“I look forward to the continuation and, indeed, development of this partnership between UNRWA, the EU and the other partners on the ground, supporting the basic human needs of Palestine refugees in Lebanon,” she added.
In addition to the rehabilitation works, the EU support allowed the three health centres to adapt the Family Health Team approach, which focuses on the comprehensive history of the patient, rather than treating the specific ailment, thus providing a more person-centred approach to their health-care needs. EU and UNRWA: Together for Palestine Refugees
Since 1971, the European Union and UNRWA have maintained a strategic partnership governed by the shared objective to support the human development, humanitarian and protection needs of Palestine refugees and promote stability in the Middle East. Today, the European Union is the largest multilateral provider of international assistance to Palestine refugees. This reliable and predictable support from the European Union enables UNRWA to provide core services to more than 5 million Palestine refugees in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza, including quality education for roughly half a million children and primary health care for more than 3.5 million patients. Collectively, the EU and its Member States are also among the largest contributors to the Agency’s humanitarian emergency appeals and projects in response to various crises and specific needs across the region. The partnership between the European Union and UNRWA has allowed millions of Palestine refugees to be better educated, live healthier lives, access employment opportunities and improve their living conditions, thus contributing to the development of the entire region.
Background Information
UNRWA is confronted with an increased demand for services resulting from a 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. UNRWA encourages all Member States to work collectively to exert all possible efforts to fully fund the Agency’s Programme Budget. UNRWA emergency programmes and key projects, also operating with large shortfalls, are funded through separate funding portals.
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection and microfinance.
For more information, please contact:
Huda Samra
Communications Advisor – Lebanon (Arabic and Francophone)
Mobile: +961 81 666 134
h.samra@unrwa.org
Abdallah Chebly
EU Delegation to Lebanon Communication Officer
Mobile: +961 71 522701
Office: +961 (1) 569400 ext: 295
abdallah.chebly@eeas.europa.eu