UNRWA Situation Report #205 Update on the Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem

“What happens today to UNRWA will happen tomorrow to any other international organisation or diplomatic mission, whether in the Occupied Palestinian Territory or anywhere around the world. International law has come under increasing attack for too long and is risking irrelevancy in the absence of response by Member States.”

Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini in response to Israeli forces storming and demolishing the UNRWA Headquarters in East-Jerusalem on January 20

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See the UNRWA Situation Reports for the most recent and updated information on the situation in the oPt.

Crisis Continues in Gaza and Escalation Looms in the West Bank

• Gaza faces near daily ceasefire violations, continued deaths, and a harsh winter that has left over one million people in urgent need of shelter, while lifesaving aid remains heavily restricted. This obstruction puts countless displaced families at severe risk and must end immediately.
• In the occupied West Bank, violence, demolitions, destruction orders (such as this football pitch in Aida camp), and forced displacement have surged to unprecedented levels. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed, with every fourth casualty being a child, and entire camps in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams have been emptied, leaving over 32,000 people unable to return home.

For many, UNRWA remains their only lifeline.

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Unprecedented Attacks on the Humanitarian System Threatening UNRWA and INGOs Continue

Developments over the past month alone show unprecedented attacks and disregard for the ICJ’s call on the state of Israel to facilitate UNRWA’s work; amounting to “a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law,” as UNRWA’s Commissioner‑General warns.

The new Israeli legislation would also affect UNRWA’s Kalandia Vocational Training Centre, threatening over 70 years of its operation. Its closure would risk losing essential opportunities for Palestinian youth at a time of rising hardship. Watch here on Instagram UNRWA’s West Bank Director Roland Friedrich explain the importance of this centre.

This all signals a dangerous pattern of escalating constraints on the humanitarian system when people in the oPt need more support, not less. There is a clear and systematic effort within Israel to eliminate the Palestinian refugee issue.

The European Parliament Reiterates its Support to UNRWA

• In its report on “Humanitarian aid in a time of polycrisis,” the European Parliament adopts unequivocal and forceful language in support of UNRWA.

• Lawmakers demand the full reinstatement of UNRWA’s mandate, condemn all attempts to delegitimise the Agency, and crucially, call for long‑term, sustainable, multiannual, and predictable funding to ensure UNRWA can continue delivering its essential services.

Despite Restrictions, UNRWA Continues to Work

Despite severe restrictions, financial strain, and disinformation, UNRWA continues to deliver on its mandate. Among other things, in Gaza, teams launched a second vaccination round for children under three. In the West Bank, the Kalandia training centre opened its new semester despite closure threats. Across Syria, UNRWA continues to operate 22 health facilities and a mobile clinic serving over 418,000 refugees. In Jordan, more than 4,000 teachers support 100,000 students, while in Lebanon’s 12 camps, essential sanitation services include 160–170 tons of solid‑waste collection dail