What is UNRWA and how does its future look?

What is happening now?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls for dismantling UNRWA, citing its role in perpetuating the Palestinian refugee issue. [BESA Center]
UNRWA is criticized for collaborating with Hamas and promoting incitement against Israel. [BESA Center, Israel Hayom]
UNRWA’s broad mandate and expanded operations are questioned for failing to reduce the refugee problem. [Wikipedia]
Controversy over UNRWA’s refugee definition, which includes descendants of original Palestinian refugees. [Wikipedia, BESA Center]
Suggestion that merging UNRWA with UNHCR could drastically reduce the number of Palestinian refugees. [BESA Center]
UNRWA is crucial for providing services in Gaza, particularly amid severe crises. [NYT]
Debate over whether UNRWA enables Palestinian dependency or is vital for humanitarian relief. [Israel National News, Jerusalem Post]
Disagreements exist about the actual number of Palestinian refugees, with suggestions from BESA Center that the number is inflated due to UNRWA’s policies.

What is UNRWA?

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a unique United Nations agency established in 1949, dedicated solely to providing assistance and protection for registered Palestine refugees. [Wikipedia]
UNRWA was created following the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict and the ensuing exodus of over 700,000 Palestinian Arabs. Its mandate has been regularly extended and its operations have expanded. [BESA Center, Wikipedia]

Timeline:

1949: UNRWA established by UNGA Resolution 302(IV) for Palestinian refugees from the 1948 conflict. [Wikipedia]
1950: Begins operations, originally centered around direct relief and works programs. [Wikipedia]
1967: UNRWA’s mandate extends to include 1967 refugees. [Wikipedia]
1970s-2000s: Continues expanding services, facing funding challenges. [Wikipedia, Israel Hayom]
2018: US suspends funding under Trump, claiming UNRWA’s model is unsustainable. [JPOST]
2021: Biden administration restores US funding to UNRWA. [Israel National News]
2023: UNRWA operates in midst of Gaza conflict, hit by funding shortfalls and loss of personnel. [NY Times]

Views of UNRWA:
Pro-Israeli

Criticized for perpetuating Palestinian refugee status, seen as biased against Israel, and accused of connections with Hamas. No other refugee group worldwide has an entire UN agency dedicated to them like UNRWA. [BESA Center, Israel Hayom]
Allege UNRWA schools used by Hamas, teachers act as terrorists. [JPOST]
Accuse UNRWA of promoting anti-Israel narrative, calling UNRWA destructive and a hurdle to peace. [Israel Hayom]

Pro-Palestinian

Considered a lifeline for Palestinian refugees, providing essential services amid conflict. [Al-Jazeera, NY Times]
UNRWA seen as recognizing ongoing displacement issue needing resolution. [NY Times]
UNRWA provides education, health, social services in the absence of a political solution. [Wikipedia]

Key Differentiators from UNHCR:

UNRWA assists only Palestinian refugees, while UNHCR addresses all other refugees globally. [Wikipedia]
Unlike UNHCR, UNRWA does not have cessation clauses for refugee status, nor does it mandate resettlement or integration, only repatriation to Israel. [BESA Center]
UNRWA’s definition of refugees includes descendants, inflating numbers over time. [Wikipedia]

Funding and Operations:

Funded by voluntary contributions from UN member states, with historical reliance on USA and European countries. [Wikipedia, Israel National News]
Struggles with financial stability, with recent years seeing significant budgetary deficits, further strained by the 2023 Gaza conflict. [NY Times]

Sources:

Links to sources: