The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), destabilized by a controversy linked to the October 7 attack, has been an essential actor for millions of Palestinians since its establishment in 1949. Long criticized by Israel, the agency, financed almost entirely by voluntary contributions from States, must today investigate the role of certain of its employees in the attack carried out by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Israeli soil.
What are the missions of UNRWA?
UNRWA was established at the end of December 1949 by the UN General Assembly after the first Arab-Israeli conflict which broke out following the creation of Israel in May 1948. Its mandate was to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees registered in the agency’s area of operations, “waiting for a just and lasting solution to their situation”.
More than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled their lands between April and August 1948 at the time of Israel’s creation, according to the UN. These people, as well as their descendants, have the status of refugees. UNRWA becomes the sole guarantor by default of their international status. It operates in the Palestinian territories but also in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
Some 5.9 million Palestinians are registered with UNRWA and can benefit from services that include education, health care, social services, camp infrastructure, microfinance and emergency assistance, including in times of armed conflict. More than 540,000 children study in UNRWA schools.
There are a total of around sixty refugee camps managed by the UN agency, including 19 in the West Bank, Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
An essential role in a territory in crisis
In the Gaza Strip, where Hamas took power in 2007, the humanitarian situation was already critical before the start of the war between Israel and the Islamist movement. According to UN data dating from August 2023, 63% of residents then suffered from food insecurity and were dependent on international aid. More than 80% lived below the poverty line.
The small territory, wedged between Israel, the Mediterranean Sea and Egypt, has eight camps and around 1.7 million refugees, the overwhelming majority of the population, according to the UN. The total population of Gaza is approximately 2.4 million people.
Of the 30,000 people employed by the agency, 13,000 work in the Gaza Strip, spread across more than 300 installations over a territory of 365 km², according to the organization’s website.
In Trump’s sights between 2018 and 2021
In 2018, the United States of Donald Trump, the largest contributor to UNRWA, ended its annual financial aid of 300 million dollars (270 million euros). Israel, which had welcomed the American decision, accuses the organization of “perpetuate the conflict” Israeli-Palestinian by maintaining the idea – which he opposes – that many Palestinians are refugees with the right to return to the land. The Palestinians, for their part, point out that the United States pays more than $3 billion in annual military aid to Israel.
The World Application
The Morning of the World
Every morning, find our selection of 20 articles not to be missed
Download the app
In May 2019, US President Donald Trump’s Middle East adviser called for the end of UNRWA, accusing it of having “failed in his mission”. The agency responded that it could not be held responsible for the impasse in the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. Washington resumed its payments from 2021, after the election of President Joe Biden.
UNRWA employees accused of involvement in October 7 attack
On Friday, UNRWA separated itself from several employees (twelve according to the United States) accused of being involved in the Hamas attack on October 7 on Israeli soil. The alleged facts were not specified and an investigation was opened.
Israel said on Saturday that it no longer wanted the UN agency to play any role in Gaza after the war. Washington suspended “temporarily” any additional funding to the UN agency, followed on Saturday by several other donor countries.
In 2022, funds from the UN regular budget and contributions from other UN entities amounted to $44.6 million. The five main donors are, in order, the United States, Germany, the European Union, Sweden and Norway. Also included are Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Switzerland.