UN appeals to support Palestinian refugees

Refugee school children attend an official ceremony to return to school at one of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) schools at a Palestinian refugee camp al Wehdat, in Amman, Jordan, on Sept. 2, 2018. (Xinhua/Mohammad Abu Ghosh)

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Wednesday launched a special appeal to support Palestinian refugees in Lebanon suffering rising hardship and vulnerability.

The Special Appeal 2022 asks donors to support increased and regular cash assistance for food and other basic needs to the vulnerable Palestine refugees, as well as emergency funding for hospitalization, education, and camp services, including fuel for water supply and solid waste disposal, according to a statement released by the UNRWA.

The appeal also calls for support to the agency's protection activities amid mounting abuse and violence in families and communities.

The current crisis affects everyone in Lebanon, and Palestine refugees are "enduring particular hardship given their already marginalized status in the country," said Claudio Cordone, director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon.

"They are struggling to survive and their needs have increased dramatically, with poverty rates reaching 87 percent among the Palestinian refugees from Syria in Lebanon," he said, noting that the appeal today "outlines the need for an enhanced and sustained program of assistance to ensure a dignified life for all Palestine refugees."

According to the statement, the appeal is part of the overall budget of $1.6 billion for 2022 that the agency needs to fulfill its mandate to provide millions of Palestine refugees' vital services, including education, health, and food assistance.