The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is providing this winter assistance to Palestine refugee children in Lebanon through UNRWA ATM cards. This assistance includes children up to 14-years-old of Palestine refugees from Syria in Lebanon who are eligible for UNRWA’s cash for food assistance across all areas. The cash assistance consists of US$ 40 per each eligible child to provide caregivers with the means to cover a portion of their winter expenses to assist children cope with the winter cold and was made available through UNRWA ATM cards on 21 December.
This year’s winter assistance also includes children up to 14-years-old of Palestine refugee families living in Beqaa who are covered under UNRWA Social Safety Net, which will be distributed in the form of cash-in-hand donations, on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 December 2015.
The Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, Mr. Matthias Schmale welcomed the continued cooperation between UNICEF and UNRWA and said: “This generous assistance is vital for the Palestine refugee children to get through the harsh winter and is another sign of UNICEF’s commitment to support Palestine refugees. UNRWA remains grateful to UNICEF’s support to the Palestine refugees in Lebanon whether in Education, Health and WASH, and considers it key for the Agency to sustain its core services.”
On her part, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon, Tanya Chapuisat, noted: “Through our sister agency, UNRWA, this unconditional one-time US$ 40 winter grant for children will enable Palestine refugee caregivers to provide protection for their children against the extreme cold in the high altitude locations in Lebanon and is a demonstration of UNICEF’s commitment to support all vulnerable children in Lebanon.”
As one of the largest UNRWA partners, UNICEF has provided nearly US$ 7 million in cash and in-kind contributions for Palestine refugee children since 2013, for education, health, protection of children from violence, abuse and exploitation, as well as water and sanitation.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions, and financial support has not kept pace with an increased demand for services caused by growing numbers of registered refugees, deepening poverty and conflict. As a result, the UNRWA General Fund, which supports core essential services and most staffing costs, operates with a large deficit. UNRWA emergency programmes and key projects, also operating with large deficits, 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 solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, and microfinance.
For more information, please contact:
Zizette Darkazally
Public Information Officer - Lebanon Field Office
Mobile: + 961 (0)1 840 490
Office: + 961 (0)1 840 490
z.darkazally@unrwa.org