The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a health and socio-economic
emergency across the occupied Palestinian territory, the UN agency
for the region warned on Friday, noting a swell of coronavirus
cases in recent weeks.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNWRA), said that it requires
some $95 million to cover the emergency needs of 5.6 million
registered Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, until the end
of December.
The funds will, among other things, focus on health, cash
assistance and education.
‘Dramatic jump’
Until now, UNRWA’s efforts to contain the virus among those it
assists have been largely successful.
But spokesperson Tamara Alrifai, said that between July and
September, the number of cases soared from 200, to nearly 4,000.
COVID-19 cases surged in the
West Bank, Lebanon and Syria in July, she said, with more recent
increases in Jordan, and the first cases of local transmission
was recorded in late-August.
“That’s a really dramatic jump…mostly due to the longer-term
socioeconomic impact of the lockdown and the closures and the
fact that beyond a few weeks, it was not possible to keep
everybody confined in camps because Palestine refugees needed to
go back to work”, she explained.
Refugees must work
To minimize contagion risks, UNRWA was able to adjust its working
methods to provide healthcare and hospital care, including
switching to remote learning.
To avoid crowds in its distribution centres, the UN agency
delivered medicines and food to people’s homes, which also helped
containment of the virus.
However, the recent surge has made this even more challenging
because of the longer-term impact of the lockdown and closures on
household economies.
Fear of worsening spread
Unless the UN is able to support refugees to stay in camps and
meet people’s medical needs, Ms. Alrifai flagged growing fears of
an outbreak in very densely populated communities.
“This funding is crucial for controlling the spread of the
pandemic in Palestine refugee camps and to help prevent a major
outbreak”, the UNRWA spokesperson stressed.
Schools in session
Meanwhile, despite financial and other challenges, over half a
million children are enrolled in 711 UNRWA schools in the West
Bank – encompassing East Jerusalem, Gaza, Jordan, Syria and
Lebanon – where they receive a quality education, including
classes on human rights, and conflict resolution.
UNRWA
Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, made the decision
to open schools for the new academic year, primarily to ensure
that every girl and boy has access to equitable quality
education.
He believes that resuming classes also gives children a greater
sense of normality within what is a highly unpredictable region.
