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Over 150,000 Palestinians have nowhere to go, says UNRWA

India has also contributed close to $30 million over the last five years, for the welfare of Palestine people, according to MEA…reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Thursday said that the over 150,000 Palestinians have nowhere to go amidst the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel, media reports said.

“People — young children, women carrying babies, people with disabilities & the elderly– have nowhere to go. They are forced to move again,” the UN aid agency said.

It said that the evacuation order by Israeli authorities of middle Gaza has caused the ongoing forced displacement.

“Only remaining hope is a humanitarian ceasefire,” the UNRWA said.

Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, has said that a staggering 1.9 million Palestinians in Gaza — more than 80 per cent of the population — have been internally displaced.

“Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment across Gaza has damaged over 250,000 housing units, with an additional 50,000 units completely destroyed. Consequently, more than 1 million people in Gaza lack a safe and secure home to return to,” Egeland said.

India hands over $2.5 mn aid

India released the second tranche of USD 2.5 million to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Thursday.

With this, India also fulfilled its annual contribution of $5 million for 2023-24, the Indian Embassy in Palestine said in a statement.

The contribution was handed over by Chargee d’Affaires Mrs. Elizabeth Rodrigues. This is aimed to support the Agency’s core programmes and services, including education, healthcare, relief and social services provided to Palestinian refugees.

“The Government of India, today, released the second tranche’ a USD 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), fulfilling its annual contribution of USD 5 million for the year 2023-24, to support the Agency’s core programmes and services, including education, healthcare, relief and social services provided to Palestinian refugees,” the Indian Embassy statement read.

Notably, India has enhanced its annual contribution to the agency from USD 1.25 million in 2018 to $5 million.

India has also contributed close to $30 million over the last five years, for the welfare of Palestine people, according to MEA.

ALSO READ-Ongoing Conflict Leaves 150,000 Palestinians with No Shelter

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Record Numbers Overwhelm UNRWA Shelters in Gaza

A UNRWA report has said that over 1.6 million people in Gaza have become internally displaced…reports Asian Lite News

 The shelters managed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in central and southern Gaza are severely overcrowded with a record-high number of displaced persons.

A UNRWA report has said that over 1.6 million people in Gaza have become internally displaced, including approximately 813,000 taking shelter in 154 UNRWA installations, Xinhua news agency reported.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted in its Wednesday report that the UNRWA shelters are accommodating far more people than their capacity allows, leading to the spread of diseases, including acute respiratory infections and diarrhoea, raising environmental and health concerns.

The overcrowding is also affecting the agency’s ability to provide effective and timely services, according to the OCHA.

Fuel Depletion Hits Gaza Hard

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has announced the suspension of dozens of drinking water and sewage facilities in the central and southern Gaza Strip due to fuel depletion.

Thomas White, UNRWA’s operations director in Gaza, said on Thursday in a post on social media platform X that 76 water wells in the three southern provinces of the Strip, along with two main drinking water stations and 15 sewage pumping stations, have stopped functioning due to fuel shortages.

Sewage was flowing on roads and streets of Rafah city as sewage pumps were out of service due to the depletion of fuel, he said, adding drinking water scarcity could also potentially lead to a 40 per cent increase in diarrheal and infectious diseases among displaced people in UNRWA shelters, Xinhua news agency reported.

Gaza has been under nearly a complete Israeli siege since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, with the suspended inflow of essential goods and fuel plunging locals into a humanitarian crisis.

IDF Achieves Major Progress in Gaza Strip

Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has made significant advancement in the Gaza Strip and has conquered the western part of the enclave.

He said that all threats related to Hamas have been eliminated in the western part of Gaza.

Gallant, a retired General of the IDF, was speaking to soldiers during his visit to the 36th Armoured Division of the IDF.

He said that the Israeli military has got specific and significant details regarding the misuse of Al-Shifa hospital during its raids there.

It may be noted that IDF has entered the Al-Shifa hospital and has reportedly neutralised five Hamas men who had fired at the advancing troops from inside the hospital premises.

The IDF said that some laptops that they could get hold of from inside the hospital had revealed the presence of Israeli hostages.

ALSO READ-‘Israel Aims to Demilitarize and Deradicalize Gaza, Not Occupy’

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UNRWA Appeals to Macron for Gaza Ceasefire Support

The UNRWA Commissioner also said that a continuous flow of aid was essential in Gaza and that the aid coming through the Rafah border was quite inadequate…reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine refugees has appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron to lend support towards ensuring an immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip where Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops are engaged in a fierce battle with the Hamas group.

UNRWA Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini made the appeal while addressing an International Peace Conference called by Marcon in Paris on Thursday. 

The commissioner in his appeal said that he was seeking urgent support from the French president for a humanitarian ceasefire along with strict adherence to international humanitarian law. 

He said that civilians and civilian infrastructure, including UN facilities hosting displaced people, must be protected and accessible to humanitarian assistance everywhere in Gaza and at all times. 

The UNRWA Commissioner also said that a continuous flow of aid was essential in Gaza and that the aid coming through the Rafah border was quite inadequate. 

He also said that the aid should come to Gaza from all crossing points, including the point with Israel, Kerem Shalom. 

He also said that the humanitarian aid alone would not do much and it would be complimented by the private sector and informed the French President on the urgent need to restore municipal services like water as also waste management.

The UNRWA commissioner said that there should not be a war spill-over and a stable Palestine was required in the interests of all including Israel. 

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UNRWA calls for int’l support as it faces fiscal crisis

UNRWA faces crisis in providing services

The Islamic World Organization for Education, Science, and Culture, as well as the Palestine sector and the occupied Arab territories in the AL, are scheduled to attend…reports Asian Lite News

A senior Palestinian official announced that the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) suffering a financial deficit estimated at about $100 million in the budget of programs related to health, education, and relief.

Ahmad Abu Holi, head of the Refugees’ Department in Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said the financial crisis prompted the UN agency to borrow from other international institutions to pay the salaries of its employees for May, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The high rates of poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity among the Palestinian refugees require the international community to act to support it and provide sufficient and sustainable funding,” Abu Holi said.

“The Arab’s support for UNRWA will be the focus of discussion in the 108th session of the Conference of Supervisors of Palestinian Affairs, which will be held on Sunday at the Arab League (AL) in Cairo,” he added.

Delegations of Arab countries hosting Palestinian refugees, including Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon, in addition to Egypt, the Arab Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will join the conference.

The Islamic World Organization for Education, Science, and Culture, as well as the Palestine sector and the occupied Arab territories in the AL, are scheduled to attend.

UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly in 1949 and was mandated to provide assistance and protection services including education, health care, relief, social services, camp infrastructure, improvement, protection and microfinance to some 5.7 million Palestine refugees.

ALSO READ-UNRWA helps repair houses in Gaza