Protection
You can help protect Palestine refugees.
Protection is what UNRWA does to safeguard and advance the rights of Palestine refugees under international law.
protection Overview
The situation in the occupied West Bank (including East Jerusalem) is characterized by a protracted protection crisis, humanitarian vulnerabilities, and aggravating socio-economic conditions.
Palestine refugees represent approximately 25% of the total Palestinian population in the West Bank and remain one of the poorest segments of Palestinian society. In the absence of a just and durable solution, almost one-third of Palestine refugees continue to live in the 19 West Bank camps, which over 73 years of existence have become areas of concentrated poverty.
The socio-economic situation on the ground has deteriorated in 2021, due to the sustained impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by the escalation of hostilities and unrest across the oPt in May 2021, deepening the severity of humanitarian needs.
Since May 2021, there has been a high level of Palestinian casualties by Israeli forces, a rise in settler violence and demolition-related displacement, and the ongoing risk of eviction in East Jerusalem. In 2021, the number of Palestinians injured in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (9,629) was almost five times greater than in 2020 (1,873).
In this context, Palestine refugee students regularly experience restrictions of movement (heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic), military checkpoints, harassment, and at times violence by Israeli settlers, arbitrary detention, and Israeli military. Such security concerns impact students’ school performance and psychosocial well-being, causing high rates of mental distress, including significant risks of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as well as functional impairment. As a result, 5,522 (3,363 girls and 2,159 boys) of UNRWA school students present physical or psychosocial needs that require regular support from psychosocial counselors.
Summer Camps for refugee youth
UNRWA USA promotes the psychosocial well-being of UNRWA school students through school-based summer camps and centralized summer camps
These camps allow students to reconnect with their peers and improve their social, psychological, and physical capacities.
Thanks to you, we’ve help fund UNRWA summer camps in both the occupied West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and in the Gaza Strip.
More than 200 Palestine refugee students from both Gaza and the West Bank took part in a joint summer camp in the West Bank funded in part by UNRWA USA in 2021. For a majority of the 57 students who joined from Gaza, it was the first time in their lives that they were permitted to leave Gaza.
Othman Titi, UNRWA Summer Camp counselor
Othman Titi, an UNRWA school counselor at the Hebron Basic Boys School, participated in the 2021 UNRWA Summer Camp. As a father and a refugee himself, he has been supporting the psychosocial wellbeing of young boys at Hebron Basic Boys School for 19 years, through regularly holding individual counseling and guiding group sessions.
Reflecting on the Summer Camp, he commented “it was perfect timing” after a long period of COVID-19-related restrictions. During the pandemic, Othman had been concerned that the student's motivation for learning was decreasing and that students experienced high levels of stress, which led to increased violence in school.
Othman said: “The Summer Camp was very effective in helping students release negative energies and promoting cooperation. Tug of War, as seen in the photos, was one of the physical activities that were popular among students. It was great that students were able to create positive memories together during the summer. Thanks to this opportunity, I think I observe fewer cases of violence in school and more cases of responsible actions and cooperation this year.”
refugee Orphan sponsorship
UNRWA supports refugee orphans by providing financial assistance in the form of cash, typically a $300 disbursement every 6 months.
When you provide cash assistance through UNRWA USA, you ensure that orphans get the services they need to overcome the traumas of war and blockade, the dignity of a proper education, and the gift of a brighter future.
If you’re interested in orphan sponsorship, please email us.
