03 April 2013
Gaza

Over 7,000 refugee families in Gaza will receive financial support from UNRWA to repair and reconstruct homes damaged during the November conflict. A generous donation of US$ 15.6 million by the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) will enable UNRWA to provide urgently needed cash subsidies directly to the affected refugee families to support the reconstruction and rehabilitation of their war-damaged shelters.

General Situation during March 2013 Forecast until mid-May 2013

Groups and swarms move in the Central region

The Desert Locust situation continues to remain serious along both sides of the Red Sea. In the past few days, more groups and small swarms have moved from the breeding areas on the coast into the interior of Sudan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. More locusts have also arrived in Israel and Eritrea. Survey and control operations are underway in all countries. Additional movements are expected during the remainder of March and countries should remain on alert.

A campaign that won legal recognition for Arab women’s citizenship rights in nine jurisdictions is providing inspiration and tactical lessons for women facing growing discrimination across the Middle East.

With support from IDRC, the Beirut-based Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action (CRTD.A) launched a regional research effort in 2002 to examine how women’s lack of citizenship rights leads to the denial of a host of other rights.

The Saudi National Campaign to Support Brothers in Syria has pledged 7.5 million riyals (USD 2 million) to support Palestinians affected by the violence in Syria, as well as those who have fled to safety in neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan.

The donation was made possible by King Abdullah Bin 'Abdul 'Aziz Al-Saud, the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques and the charity’s Supervisor-General and Saudi Minister of the Interior, HRH Prince Mohammed Ibn Nayef Ibn Abdul Aziz.

10/11/2012 11:32 GMT

by Ali Khalil

DUBAI, Oct 11, 2012 (AFP) - Taking their cue from the Arab Spring, but fearing a backlash from Islamists the uprisings brought to power, Arab cyber activists have embarked on a daring campaign urging women fight for equality.

"The uprising of women in the Arab World" is the title of the Facebook page where the campaign was launched on October 1 to highlight "discrimination" against women in the Arab world.

Within days, the number of "likes" that the page has attracted has increased from about 20,000 to almost 35,000.

Highlights

• Funding shortfalls are undermining the ongoing humanitarian response in Pakistan, with aid agencies cutting critical life-saving assistance.

• Needs in Syria increased to an estimated 2.5 million people and the number of refugees has doubled since July. Whilst humanitarian agencies have scaled up, these efforts are being undermined by funding shortfalls.

• The government of Iran led the humanitarian response to two earthquakes that left 300 dead, 2600 njured and over 150,000 affected.

FUNDING

18 June 2012
Dead Sea, Jordan

Delivered by Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi at the 2012 meeting of the UNRWA Advisory Commission.

Minister Azayzeh,
Mr Chairman,
Mr.Vice-Chairman,
Distinguished Delegates:

Welcome, everybody. I would like to thank Minister Wajieh Azayzeh, representing Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh of Jordan, for his opening remarks. He is, of course, an old friend of this Commission and of UNRWA, and of mine personally, and we warmly welcome him and appreciate his cooperation.

Since 2003, the International Committee of the Red Cross has been publishing, in cooperation with the League of Arab States, an annual report on the implementation of IHL in the Middle East and North Africa.

This report covers the following countries: Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania, and Yemen, and not all States member of the League of Arab States.