Funding shortage hits UNRWA services
9 April 2010
(Daily Star) BEIRUT: Lack of funds and an ever-increasing displaced population are leading to a decline in the level of relief services by the UN, the organization's refugee agency said on Thursday.
The UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), during a conference in Beirut, called on donors to renew support for its humanitarian mission in Lebanon.
"While we have not cut back on services, there has been a clear deterioration in the quality of services provided by UNRWA over a period time, as a result of the rising population which is not matched by a similar increase in donor funding," said UNRWA spokesperson Homa Samra.
The conference saw the official unveiling of the results of a detailed survey into how refugees in Lebanon and Syria viewed the work carried out by UNRWA. Over 1,400 Palestinian refugees were asked their opinion, with almost seven out of 10 viewing the agency's relief work as "insufficient."
Samra said that the survey's outcome "did not come as a surprise to us."
However, 92 percent of those questioned voiced their support for UNRWA to continue working among displaced peoples.
"We are pleased to hear that 92 percent of refugees want UNRWA to stay," said Samra. "To us this is a sign of confidence in UNRWA's role and encourages us to continue delivering services to the best of our abilities to the refugees until such time as a political solution to the refugee problem is found."
Several facets of UNRWA's assistance in Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps were considered sub-standard by respondents, including health and educational facilities.
Samra assured those gathered that such issues were being addressed "through focusing on a series of reforms that will have a measurable impact on the population.
"These reforms are starting to bear fruit - for example in reforms to our hospitalization program - but will take time and additional resources in order to produce the results that we want," she said.
"We are not yet providing the quality of services we would like to the refugees but are committed to making a real difference to ensure that refugees can live in dignity and with hope for the future. We call on our donors to support us in this regard."
There are over 420,000 registered Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. According to the survey, almost 97 percent of refugees in Lebanon and Syria are registered with UNRWA.
