Following a week-long suspension of services in Ein El Hilweh due to armed clashes, UNRWA has now resumed its operations within the camp. UNRWA Health Centre II was reopened today and resumed provision of medical care to Palestine Refugee patients. Many children, including newborns, were brought to the centre for treatment and vaccination. Sanitation Labourers have commenced clearing camp streets of piled-up garbage and disinfecting less affected areas. Working in partnership with various stakeholders, the Agency is preparing to conduct assessments and clear remnants of war from the affected zones once these become access
"We very much hope that the camp remains calm. I heard today of families unable to leave houses for days under fire and injured upon escape, children crying of fear and women's hair turning white. UNRWA will consecutively support clearance of rubble and reinstatement of damaged water networks and electricity lines. A secure environment is necessary for UNRWA to operate. We are collaborating with partners to prepare for clearance of affected camp sites once possible to ensure the safety of the community and UNRWA staff from remnants of the war," said Dorothee Klaus, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, who visited Ein El Hilweh camp today to oversee the situation and the partial reinstatement of the Agency's operations.
UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency's area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.
UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.
UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
