Jerusalem /PNN/

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is pleased that the strike called for by the West Bank Field Office Area Staff Union (ASU) on 23 January has come to an end.

As of this morning, UNRWA staff on strike joined more than 400 other colleagues who had not been on strike. It is critical for UNRWA services to resume services, including in schools, which provide education to more than 45,000 children across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

UNRWA management will engage in dialogue with the ASU on the way forward. A technical committee representing the Agency and the ASU will convene shortly to work together on resolving outstanding issues.

UNRWA highly appreciates the efforts of the Palestinian Authority, including The Department of Refugees Affairs (DORA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), represented by Dr. Ahmad Abu Holi. They were key in approaching and helping resolve a situation that was severely impacting the access of Palestine refugees to critical services.

The human rights and well-being of the refugees are at the center of any dialogue, and their access to services including health, education and social protection must always be prioritized over any other issue, at all times.

UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.

UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.

UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.