PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT

Education is UNRWA's single largest area of activity, accounting for half its budget and two-thirds of its staff.

The education programme has a cash budget of US$161.7 million for 2000, although actual expenditure is expected to be significantly less owing to austerity and other cost reduction measures introduced in response to funding shortfalls.

Some 14,298 staff are employed in the education programme, the majority of whom are teachers and head teachers. Over 99 per cent of UNRWA staff, including those in the education programme, are locally-recruited Palestinians who are themselves Palestine refugees.

UNRWA's education programme has been run with financial and technical support from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 1951. UNESCO currently seconds three senior international staff members to UNRWA - including the Director of the Department of Education - in addition to financing four senior local posts.