JERUSALEM, Friday, June 28, 2019 (WAFA) – In an atmosphere of ongoing hardship, thousands of vulnerable children living in the Gaza Strip are receiving a much-needed helping hand thanks to a generous donation from Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said today.
The contribution of $2,670,000 will enable the UNRWA to implement the fourth phase of the “Support to Vulnerable Children” project, by complimenting and building on the previous three phases. The project aims to extend support to approximately 2,500 orphans and 700 children with disabilities through cash and in-kind assistance, capacity-building and psychosocial support that will help the targeted beneficiaries fulfill their basic needs and wellbeing requirements.
After 13 years of blockade, frequent power shortages and unreliable access to safe drinking water, refugees in Gaza face a life riddled with challenges. Unemployment among refugees stands at 52 per cent, among the highest worldwide according to the latest statistics from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Limited job access leaves 68 per cent of households in Gaza experiencing severe or moderate levels of food insecurity.
The IRUSA cash assistance enables Gaza refugees to purchase food and non-food items, providing crucial support to families living in poverty.
“Poverty levels among Palestine refugees continue to rise. They rely on UNRWA to meet essential food needs and health care requirements,” Director of UNRWA Operations in Gaza, Matthias Schmale, said. “For their sake and the stability of Gaza, we must ensure that our food distributions to more than one million people do not face any interruption.”
The psychosocial support sessions offered through the IRUSA project as well as in UNRWA schools provide a crucial mental health assistance to refugees struggling with increasing economic hardship and trauma from intermittent cycles of violence. Since the launch of the Great March of Return demonstrations in March 2018, more than 28,000 Palestinians were injured, and hundreds killed. Tensions caused by the demonstrations placed an increased burden on Gaza families.
Despite the Agency’s financial shortfall, UNRWA has managed to sustain its vital services, such as the mental health and psychosocial support program for the most vulnerable in Gaza. In 2019, while mental health programs especially in regions coping with intermittent hostilities remain a priority, the Agency’s ability to deliver most of these programs will depend on availability of funds. UNRWA thanks IRUSA for its continuous support to Palestine refugees.
IRUSA was launched in 1993 and today spans the United States, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Its programs, aimed at alleviating world poverty, range from children and orphans to women’s initiatives, food aid, livelihood, education and health.
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