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UNRWA's Problematic Educational Role in the Middle East Conflict
Israel Behind the News http://www.childrensrightsinstitute.org/323/unrwa-problematic-educational-role-in-the-middle
UNRWA's Educational Activity in the Middle East UNRWA – the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for the Palestinian refugees in the Middle East – was established in the wake of the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 by the UN General Assembly resolution 302 (IV) of December 8, 1948, in order to carry out relief and works programs for the Palestinian war refugees. The agency began operations on May 1, 1950. In the absence of a solution to the refugee problem, the Assembly has repeatedly renewed UNRWA's mandate. Over half of UNRWA's general budget is dedicated to education (381,055 million US$ out of a total budget of 673,789 million US$ in 2012, which makes 56.55%).1 The agency also offers health, relief and social services. UNRWA provides free-of-charge basic education to children of Palestinian refugees in the Palestinian Authority-controlled West Bank, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, the Israel-controlled East Jerusalem, and in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. In the school year of 2011/2012 it ran a total of 703 schools caring for 491,641 students. 245 of these schools were in the Gaza Strip and 99 were in the West Bank, with 225,098 and 51,695 students respectively.2 Two of UNRWA's West Bank schools are actually located in the greater Jerusalem area that was annexed to Israel in 1967. © 2024 Children's Rights Institute. |