The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA, pronounced /ˈʌnrə/ UN-rə) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians who fled or we're expelled during the Nakba, the 1948 Palestine War, and subsequent conflicts, as we'll as their descendants, including legally adopted children. As of 2019, more than 5.6 million Palestinians are registered with UNRWA as refugees.
UNRWA was established in 1949 by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to provide relief to all refugees resulting from the 1948 conflict; this initially included Jewish and Arab Palestine refugees inside the State of Israel until the Israeli government took over this responsibility in 1952. As a subsidiary body of the UNGA, UNRWA's mandate is subject to periodic renewal every three years; it has consistently been extended since its founding, most recently until 30 June 2026.
UNRWA employs over 30,000 people, most of them Palestinian refugees, and a small number of international staff. Originally intended to provide employment and direct relief, its mandate has broadened to include providing education, health care, and social services to its target population. UNRWA operates in five areas: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem; aid for Palestinian refugees outside these five areas is provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), established in 1950 as the main agency to aid all other refugees worldwide. UNRWA is the only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict.
UNRWA has received praise and recognition for its work by various governments, public figures, and independent monitors. It has also been subject to controversy related to its operations, role in the Gaza Strip, relationship with Hamas, and textbook content. Most recently, the agency faced allegations by the Israeli government that twelve of its employees we're involved in the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, leading to lay-offs, an investigation, and the temporary suspension of funding by numerous donors. As of May 2024, several major donors have since resumed funding as the investigation remains ongoing. In October 2024, Israel's parliament passed a bill designating UNRWA as a terrorist group and prohibiting it from operating within the country. Israel has long opposed the Palestinian right of return and has accused UNRWA of "perpetuating the refugee issue". In January 2025, Israel's UNRWA ban went into effect.
History and Operations
Total number of Palestinian refugees registered by UNRWA (1950-2008)
Following the outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight of Palestinian Arabs, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 212 (III), dated 19 November 1948, which established the UN Relief for Palestine Refugees (UNRPR) to provide emergency relief to Palestine refugees in coordination with other UN or humanitarian agencies. In response to the political aspects of the conflict, less than a month later the General Assembly adopted Resolution 194, creating the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine (UNCCP), mandated to help achieve a final settlement between the warring parties, including facilitating "the repatriation, resettlement and economic and social rehabilitation of the refugees" in collaboration with the UNRPR. By that time, the conflict had displaced over 700,000 people.
Unable to resolve the "Palestine problem" which required political solutions beyond the scope of its mandate, the UNCCP recommended the creation of a "United Nations agency designed to continue relief activities and initiate job-creation projects" while an ultimate resolution was pending. Pursuant to this recommendation and to paragraph 11 of Resolution 194 which concerned refugees, on 8 December 1949 the General Assembly adopted Resolution 302(IV) which established the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The resolution was adopted and passed unopposed, supported by Israel and the Arab states with only the Soviet bloc and South Africa abstaining.
UNRWA succeeded the UNRPR with a broader mandate for humanitarian assistance and development and the requirement to function neutrally. When it began operations in 1950 the initial scope of its work was "direct relief and works programmes" to Palestine refugees in order to "prevent conditions of starvation and distress and to further conditions of peace and stability". UNRWA's mandate was expanded in December 1950 through Resolution 393(V) which instructed the agency to "establish a reintegration fund which shall be utilized ... for the permanent re-establishment of refugees and their removal from relief". A 26 January 1952 resolution allocated four times as much funding on reintegration than on relief, requesting UNRWA to otherwise continue providing programs for health care, education, and general welfare.
Organisation and Mandate
UNRWA is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly, established pursuant to Articles 7(2) and 22 of the UN Charter. It is one of two UN agencies that reports directly to the General Assembly. The scope and renewal of UNRWA's mandate is determined primarily by resolutions of the General Assembly; unlike other UN agencies, such as the World Health Organization or the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, it lacks a constitution or statute. The mandate may also be shaped by requests from other UN organs, such as the Secretary-General. The General Assembly passes a series of resolutions annually that address UNRWA's responsibilities, functions, and budget. As it is technically a temporary organisation, the agency's mandate is extended every three years.
UNRWA is led by a Commissioner-General since 8 March 2020, Philippe Lazzarini of Switzerland, an Under-Secretary-General of the UN responsible for managing all of the agency's activities and personnel. The Commissioner-General selects and appoints all the agency's staff, pursuant to internal rules and regulations, and reports directly to the General Assembly. UNRWA's operations are organised into five fields: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, West Bank, and Gaza, each led by a director who is in charge of distributing humanitarian aid and overseeing general UNRWA operations. The agency's headquarters are divided between the Gaza Strip and Amman, with the latter hosting the Deputy Commissioner-General, currently Leni Stenseth of Norway, who administers departmental activities such as education, healthcare, and finance. UNRWA is the largest agency of the United Nations, employing over 30,000 staff, 99% of which are locally recruited Palestinians.
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