Upcoming events
UNRWA USA hosts and participates in events around the United States to raise awareness and funds for critical UNRWA services benefiting Palestine refugees
Gaza Through My Lens tour with Motaz Azaiza
Gaza through my Lens with Motaz Azaiza
The people of Gaza are enduring the worst humanitarian crisis of our era and in Palestinian history. Nearly 2 million people have been displaced, with many at risk of hunger and starvation. With your help, we can bring life-saving relief to Gaza through UNRWA's essential programs.
Join us this fall for a four-city speaking tour with Motaz Azaiza, the Palestinian photojournalist who risked his life to bring Gaza's truth to the rest of the world. Hosted by UNRWA USA, this tour aims to raise greater American awareness and at least $800,000 in refugee relief.
Why attend?
- Hear firsthand about Gaza through Motaz's personal lens
- Save refugee lives: Your fundraising will directly fund UNRWA's life-saving programs for displaced families in the Gaza Strip
Fundraise and earn rewards:
- Raise $100+ for an official UNRWA USA shirt
- Raise $500+ for a Gaza sweatshirt designed by Aya Mobaydeen
- Raise $1,000+ for an invite to a private meet-and-greet with Motaz
Pick your city and start fundraising:
2024 Dallas Gaza 5K
UNRWA USA’s Gaza 5K walk/run is your chance to meet and connect with folks who share your solidarity and commitment to the mental wellbeing of refugees. Learn more about Gaza 5K history at gaza5k.org. Not in Dallas or prefer to participate from home? You may also choose the virtual option.
Let's Talk UNRWA - Episode 35: An American in Gaza with Scott Anderson
"Let's Talk UNRWA" is back, now as a quarterly event, and you won't want to miss episode 35!
Join Mara Kronenfeld, Executive Director of UNRWA USA, for an exclusive live Q&A with Scott Anderson, an American leading UNRWA's efforts in the Gaza Strip.
This is your chance to hear directly from UNRWA leadership about what it's really like on the ground in Gaza for Palestine refugees and how UNRWA is making a lifesaving impact.
Come with your questions and get ready for a meaningful conversation that will better shape your understanding of the situation in Gaza and how you can help.
RSVP in advance to attend the live Q&A.
The Children of UNRWA - World Refugee Day Event (Virtual)
As we grieve the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza, we're also committed to preserving and honoring the stories of Palestine refugees. Join us live on Thursday, June 20th, at 12 pm EST for a special World Refugee Day event.
While Palestine refugees mainly live in and around camps across the Middle East, many have built lives in the diaspora, including the United States and Canada. These individuals have thrived as doctors, teachers, authors, engineers, and artists in their communities, often attributing their success to UNRWA's support.
Our Refugee Advisory Council members are children of UNRWA. They will share stories of how the Agency was integral to their upbringings in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon and continues to be part of their lives today.
This event will also feature a music performance or two by talented artists from Gaza.
Our storytellers this year are:
Ahmed Arafat, Chief Information Officer at 5D Services, LLC
Rania Qawasma, Architect & Founder of Daarna
Ihmayed Ali, Biomedical Engineer at McGill University and Author
Raed Sharif, PhD, Senior Regional Program Manager at SecDev Foundation
2024 NYC Gaza 5K
UNRWA USA’s Gaza 5K walk/run is your chance to meet and connect with folks who share your solidarity and commitment to the mental wellbeing of refugees. Learn more about Gaza 5K history at gaza5k.org. Not in NYC or prefer to participate from home? You may also choose the virtual option.
United for Gaza: A Nationwide Virtual Vigil
You are invited to join UNRWA USA on November 29th, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, for a nationwide virtual vigil.
Let's unite cities across the United States in solidarity with Gaza, to reflect on our shared grief and reiterate our calls for an immediate ceasefire to let Gaza live.
The vigil will feature poignant remarks from a number of Palestinian speakers, moving performances, and reflective poetry readings.
RSVP here to receive a link for the private broadcast.
Bay Area Gaza 5K
This September, UNRWA USA’s Gaza 5K walk/run returns to the Bay Area
Your participation in and fundraising for UNRWA USA’s signature Gaza 5K walk/run event plays a vital role in our efforts to provide Palestine refugee children in the Gaza Strip with life-changing mental health care.
Saturday, September 30, 2023
Coyote Point Park
San Mateo, California
7:00 to 11:00 am
Gaza to the World Concert
"Gaza to the World" is
A beautiful online experience brought to you from the shores of Gaza that you'll want all your friends to see -- featuring some of Palestine's top musicians such as Sol Band, the Edward Said National Music Conservatory's ensemble, our very own Nahed Elrayes, and more.
An invitation for you to become an UNRWA USA Solidarity Sustainer, helping countless Palestine refugees through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
A chance to elevate Palestinian artists (largely refugees) who suffer from a lack of opportunities in Gaza, and to honor the Edward Said National Music Conservatory and recognize the titanic role it has played in nurturing Palestinian artists.
An opportunity to transform the way the world views Palestine refugees and Palestinians in Gaza.
You can attend the concert from anywhere. Watch for free
DC Gaza 5K walk/run
This May, the Gaza 5K returns to our home city of Washington DC for the first time since 2019!
Your participation in and fundraising for UNRWA USA’s signature Gaza 5K walk/run event plays a vital role in our efforts to provide Palestine refugee children in the Gaza Strip with life-changing mental health care.
NYC Ramadan Iftar for Palestine Refugees
No matter your background, join the UNRWA USA community for a delicious Ramadan iftar at the Bay Ridge Community Development Center.
You won't want to miss a poetry session from acclaimed Syrian-American artist, Omar Offendum and remarks by human rights organizer Rana Abdelhamid. This evening will be emceed by Ayat Masoud, owner of Ayat Restaurant among many other ventures.
Full event details and tickets are available here
All zakat-certified donations (and ticket sales) will provide UNRWA food assistance to Palestine refugees in Gaza and Syria, and cash assistance for Palestine refugees in Lebanon. Every $60 you donate can bring a month's food assistance to a refugee family.
About Omar Offendum
Omar Offendum is a Syrian-American rapper, spoken word poet, and theatrical storyteller with a unique ability to draw audiences from a variety of backgrounds / generations through his signature blend of Hip-Hop and Arabic poetry. Over the course of his 20-year career, he’s been featured on prominent world news outlets (Aljazeera, BBC, PBS, LA Times), lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Northwestern, UT-Austin, UCLA, SOAS, Georgetown, American University of Beirut, Education City Doha), collaborated with major museums and cultural organizations (LACMA / Penn Museum / Ithra / Shangri-La / Arab-American National Museum / The Brooklyn Museum), and helped raise millions of dollars for various humanitarian relief groups (Islamic Relief, Karam Foundation, Syrian-American Medical Society). Offendum was recently invited by the Qatar Foundation to perform at over a dozen matches during the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Doha. He was also named a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow, an Arab America Foundation "40 Under 40" award recipient, and a member of both the Pillars Fund cohort for Muslim Narrative Change and the RaceForward Butterfly Lab cohort for Immigrant Narrative Strategy. After 17 wonderful years in Los Angeles, he currently resides in the great state of New York with his wife and two little children, while daydreaming about the jasmine tree-lined streets of Damascus.
About Rana Abdelhamid
Rana Abdelhamid is an internationally acclaimed human rights organizer, 1st Degree Black Belt, public speaker, and social entrepreneur focused on the empowerment of marginalized communities. In 2022, she ran for election to the U.S. House of Representatives in New York’s 12th congressional district. Her Justice Democrats-backed campaign mobilized thousands of people, received support from over three dozen organizations and elected officials, and raised close to $1 million from small-dollar contributions.
At age 16, Rana founded Malikah, a global collective of women committed to building safety and power for women through healing, self-defense, economic empowerment, and leadership training. Today she serves as the Executive Director of Malikah. Rana is highly committed to the global human rights movement and was one of the youngest serving Board Members of Amnesty International USA for over six years. Rana is currently curating an exhibition at MoMA PS1 focused on the migration journeys of women from her community in Queens. The exhibition will open on May 5th.
She received her BA in International Politics and Economics from Middlebury College and her Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. Rana has been named a Truman Scholar and a Running Start Rising Political Star, and she has received an NYC Council Proclamation and an International Youth Advocate award from the UNA-USA Foundation.
About our Emcee Ayat Masoud
Ayat Masoud is a practicing attorney who received her Juris Doctor Degree from New York Law School in 2015. Before 2015, she was the International Sales Representative of Balady Foods, traveling to Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Portugal on foods missions to import and introduce a variety of goods to the U.S. She then went on to become the In House Legal Counsel of Balady Foods, negotiating retail, wholesale, and manufacturing product licensing agreements. In the pursuit to expand her horizons, Ayat became an Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County DA’s Office.
Ayat has always been passionately committed to providing services to the Brooklyn community. For 10 years, Ayat served the Bay Ridge and neighboring communities as an Auxiliary Police Officer of the NYPD out of the 68 Precinct. She was published by Home Reporter as the first Auxiliary Police Officer to wear the hijab in uniform and has been awarded by the 68 Precinct for her services.
Ayat now owns and operates Masoud Law Firm on 72nd and 5th Avenue serving the Muslim community. Amidst her career as an attorney, Ayat fulfilled her long-time passion of cooking, and alongside her husband, Abdul Elenani, opened a chain of Palestinian restaurants called "Ayat", a namesake her husband surprised her with. With 5 locations and counting, Ayat Restaurant is now the fastest-growing national Palestinian restaurant representing the lost voices and culture of the Palestinian people.
DC Ramadan Iftar for Palestine Refugees (with Laila Al-Arian and Sana Saeed)
No matter your background, join the UNRWA USA community for a delicious Ramadan iftar at the Qatar American Institute for Culture on Saturday, April 8th.
You won't want to miss our guest speakers, Sana Saeed and Laila Al-Arian!
All zakat-certified donations (and ticket sales) will provide UNRWA food assistance to Palestine refugees in Gaza and Syria, and cash assistance for Palestine refugees in Lebanon. Every $60 you donate can bring a month's food assistance to a refugee family.
Mama & Me: A Palestinian Cook-Off (virtual)
Join UNRWA USA for an evening of Palestinian food featuring mothers and their children to raise funds for Palestine refugees.
My Big Fat Palestinian Christmas (Virtual)
Beloved Palestinian chefs and food bloggers have teamed up with UNRWA USA again to deliver you our sweetest *free* event of the year: My Big Fat Palestinian Christmas! 🇵🇸🎄
Join us LIVE Wednesday 12/7 at 5 pm EST via YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter for a festive holiday cooking demo that helps refugees.
This year's Christmas cooking stars include:
🥗 Maha Kailani from @makedelicioushappen
🍉 Izzeldin Bukhari from @sacredcuisine
🍹 Mai Kakish from @almondandfig
🥘 Marcelle Afram from @shababidc
🥫 Suzanne Husseini @suzannehusseini
🍫 Johnny Dubbaneh from @zandzdc
Organize your own event
interested in organizing an event in your community to support Palestine refugees?
Volunteers across the country host events to benefit Palestine refugees through UNRWA USA. From dinners to yoga classes to film screenings, there is no limit to how creative you can be!
If you’re interested in organizing an event to benefit Palestine refugees via UNRWA USA, or already have a charitable event that is looking for beneficiaries, please complete and submit this interest form:
Gather for GAza
organize a gather for gaza event
One of the most creative ways that supporters of UNRWA USA raise money to provide UNRWA food assistance for refugees in Gaza is by hosting a Gather for Gaza fundraising event (previously, Iftar for Gaza).
These events come in many forms. You know your guests better than anyone, so consider a gathering they will enjoy most. Some past examples include: a traditional iftar dinner, a vegan potluck, Memorial Day BBQ, birthday parties, wine and cheese gatherings.
Whatever you choose, the purpose of your gathering for Gaza is to connect with your community to educate them on the humanitarian situation facing Palestine refugees in Gaza and generate funds for UNRWA's at-risk food assistance program.