UNRWA health programme hard hit in Syria but the UN agency's work is having an impact

Today, during the World Health Organization’s sixty sixth’s Annual World Health Summit, UNRWA released its Health Department 2012 Annual Report. The publication reflects on the operational challenges, the Agency has faced with rolling out an ongoing health reform and managing regular services during times of conflict.

Highlights

• A total of 2,000 very small and micro enterprises have received financing to expand their enterprises.

• The total value of loans issued by the programme to MFIs is US $6.35 million.

• The success rate for enterprises operating and providing households with sufficient income is 88 percent.

• 29.5 percent of women and 18.8 percent of men are unemployed in the occupied Palestinian territory.

At one elementary school in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, teacher Fakhrieh Al Zaabouti was saddened when a 7-year-old child arrived to school in tears. “His left shoe was torn apart and he was so upset.” But, his tears soon turned to joy when he received his new pair of TOMS Shoes.

This is ANERA’s first delivery of TOMS Shoes in Lebanon.

GAZA, May 19 (KUNA) -- The Palestinian government in Gaza, headed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, confirmed Sunday that it has received assurances from Egypt regarding efforts to find a solution on the closure of Rafah Crossing.

Haniya is following up closely developments around the clock regarding the Rafah Crossing with the Egyptian side, Taher Al-Nono, government's spokesman, said in a statement.

Planned Change is Useful Step but Inadequate

Highlights

Nearly half of the 6.8 million people affected by the crisis in Syria are children. Over 1.5 million Syrians have already fled into neighboring countries. All are in urgent need of assistance. During the reporting period UNICEF and partners scaled up efforts in support of national immunization campaigns, ensuring that children across all affected countries continue to be vaccinated against preventable diseases.

Key issues

● Israeli forces injure around 60 Palestinians in protests and clashes across the West Bank. Three Israeli forces individuals also injured.

● Israeli forces demolish 16 residential and livelihood structures, displacing 14 people and affecting over 80 others.

● One Palestinian man sentenced to death by the local authorities in Gaza, allegedly for collaborating with what the court described as a “hostile element”.

Today marks the 65th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba: the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people in 1948, which left most Palestinians as refugees in and outside of Palestine. Since Israel occupied the rest of Palestine in 1967, its occupying forces have been violating the rights of the Palestinian civilian population under its control in breach of the rules of international law. Today presents an opportunity to reiterate the urgent call for ending Israel's occupation through reinstating justice, respecting human rights, and securing democracy for the Palestinian people.

IOM provides assistance to internally displaced persons, stranded migrants and third-country refugees inside Syria as well as Syrian refugees, Iraqi and Lebanese returnees and vulnerable host communities in the neighbouring countries of Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.

IOM Regional Response to the Syria Crisis Situation Report - 16 May 2013