The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has been helping Palestinians in Lebanon get the medical care they need, but they were just cut off from their funds.
A lot of Palestinians depend on UNRWA to pay for things like healthcare and schooling. This is where they will suffer the most. It took twelve votes for the agency to decide to stop paying, which could cause a problem and many deaths. The Lebanese government has said that the 150 places that the agency runs would go crazy if these funds were cut off.
Israel said that some UNRWA employees were involved in the strikes on October 7. This led to the funding being cut off.
A lot of Palestinians are suffering because they can’t go to Lebanese schools or get medical care. They also can’t own land. A lot of people are unemployed and don’t have enough money; more than three-quarters of Palestinians live in poverty.
It’s important to note that UNRWA helps Palestinians get jobs and reach their goals in Lebanon. Tarek Moneim, CEO of Initiate, a program in Lebanon that helps Palestinians become businesses and gain power, said, “It is the dream of every Palestinian to find a job there.”
On top of that, they give cash payments to the weakest families. Many families are already feeling the effects of not getting these payments. A lot of people have had to make tough choices, and there is fear behind the falling access to health care and the lack of cash for families.
Abdelnasser el-Ayi, who runs the Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee, said, “If people don’t have any services, they are much more likely to join militant groups, who can give them money and help them stay alive.” The places where they live are already awful.
