On 2 May, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched the UNRWA Youth Strategic Framework for Palestine Refugees in Lebanon and the UNICEF Adolescents and Youth Assessment for Palestine Refugees in Lebanon. The ceremony took place in the in Beirut and was attended by the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, Claudio Cordone, and the UNICEF Representative in Lebanon, Tanya Chapuisat.
During the ceremony, UNRWA highlighted its youth strategic framework which aims to address widespread disenfranchisement and lack of opportunity among Palestine refugee youth in Lebanon. The strategy’s main focus is to increase access to education services and improve livelihood opportunities, offering innovative approaches, including the use of new technology and thorough, continuous involvement of the youth participating in the programme.
UNICEF highlighted the key findings of its Adolescents and Youth Assessment, and summarized an investigation into the camp living conditions of young Palestine refugees in Lebanon and Palestine refugees from Syria aged between 10 and 24. This included their education attainment, emotional well-being, their health and psychosocial conditions, and their daily coping mechanisms.
“UNRWA together with UNICEF and other partners seek to ensure a better future for Palestine refugees in Lebanon, by providing them with skills and opportunities to improve their living conditions and the full enjoyment of their rights. Education and proper employment opportunities are critical for ensuring a dignified future for young Palestine refugees living in Lebanon,” said Mr. Cordone.
UNICEF Representative Tanya Chapuisat agreed and noted, “We are committed to continue working with UNRWA and all our partners to elevate some of the real burdens facing Palestine refugee children and adolescents in Lebanon. Bringing adolescents back to school, teaching and equipping them with necessary life and vocational skills remain one of the best ways to give adolescents and youth a sense of normalcy and stability for a better future.”
ABOUT UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
For more information about UNICEF and its work for children visit www.unicef.org
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 5.4 million Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA across its five fields of operation. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, including East Jerusalem 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:
Christopher Gunness Spokesperson, Director of Advocacy & Strategic Communications Mobile: +972 (0)54 240 2659 Office: +972 (0)2 589 0267 c.gunness@unrwa.org
Sami Mshasha Chief of Communications, Arabic Language Spokesperson Mobile: +972 (0)54 216 8295 Office: +972 (0)258 90724 s.mshasha@unrwa.org
Huda Samra Communications Advisor – Lebanon (Arabic and Francophone) Mobile: +961 81 666 134 h.samra@unrwa.org