In a school run by UNRWAAt the United Nations Palestine Refugee Agency, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, Saleh Mershed queues with dozens of displaced Palestinians, waiting to receive aid.
For almost a year, he and his family have taken refuge in this school in incessant Israeli bombing, receive help periodically from the United Nations agency.
“Before the war started, my children attended UNRWA schools in Gaza City. When we had to flee our home at the start of the war, we took refuge in one of them. Later, when the Israeli occupation issues evacuation orderswe moved to this UNRWA school in Deir al-Balah.
Mershed, is a 42 years old, father of four children and who also received medical services from UNRWA. Around the 70% of the 2.3 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip are refugees of Palestine, but in the current circumstances, it is the entire population that receives support from the Agency without distinction.
“My wife gave birth to all our children in UNRWA clinics. Whenever my children get sick, I take them to their clinics so they can receive free treatment.
Founded in 1949 by the United Nations to provide humanitarian aid and services to Palestinian refugees displaced during and after the war. Nakba (disaster), the Agency initially focused on providing urgent assistance to more than 750,000 Palestinians expelled from their homes.
Over time, its mandate expanded to provide various essential services, including food, health care, education and social support to refugees in West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. But following recent laws passed by the Israeli Knesset prohibiting the country’s authorities from coordinating with UNRWA, thousands of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank could see their rights threatened.
“I don’t know what we would do if, for example, UNRWA schools were closed. “I cannot afford to enroll my children in private schools or lose regular food aid from UNRWA, which has been a great help to me and my family,” says Mershed, owner of a small business destroyed during an Israeli military attack on Gaza.
“I opened a women’s clothing store in 2015, investing all my money in it. Despite the severe Israeli siege, the operation was successful. Many times we were unable to get our products to Gaza due to Israeli restrictions and the blockade, but I managed to keep it operational until 2021,” he adds.
“In May of the same year, the Israeli army bombed my store, leaving me without a job or a way to support my family. Therefore, the role of UNRWA has become more crucial than ever for me and my family.
Although Palestinian refugees are largely dependent on UNRWA services and consider them a crucial elementare aware that their closure would mean much more than just the end of their services.
Hedaya al-Waheidi, a retired UNRWA school director who worked for over 36 years in UNRWA institutions, says: there have always been “efforts to end UNRWA as part of attempts to end the Palestinian refugee cause.
“A few years ago, under increasing pressure, attempts were made to erase the phrase “Palestinian refugees” from posters displaying the names of schools on exterior walls. We refused to comply at that time and we don’t change the signs,” explains Al-Waheidi.
“UNRWA is much more than just a service provider for Palestinian refugees. Its role is deeper. As long as UNRWA exists, the cause of Palestinian refugees and the right of return will continue to be recognized internationally. This is the pillar on which Palestinian refugees rely, the hope that they will not lose their rights.
UNRWA schools serve approximately 700,000 Palestinian students, descendants of those who were expelled from their towns and villages in 1948.
“Their schools stand out in many ways: teachers receive regular training and professional development classes, students participate in international competitions, and children are offered a range of services beyond education, including medical care as well as support with food and clothing. adds Al-Waheidi.
“I graduated from 36 generations of UNRWA schools and I have always witnessed the importance of its existence. Restricting their services or ending their work would be a real catastrophe, not only for Palestinian refugees, but for all Palestinians who, directly or indirectly, receive their support.
