FOOD AID

• Relief and Social Services Regular Food Aid Programme (RFAP), comprises two sub-programmes: the Social Safety Net Programme (SSN) and the Pregnant Women & Nursing Mothers Programme (PW&NMs). It caters to the needs of the most vulnerable Palestine refugees (food insecure) in the five fields of UNRWA operations by delivering food aid and cash subsidies. Supported by over 326 social workers, the programme distributes food items from 58 fixed and 124 mobile distribution points.

• Over 255,000 refugees received support from UNRWA by way of food and cash subsidy – this equates to over a million food parcels and $10.2 million in cash assistance that UNRWA delivered during 2008 alone.

• The overall combined value of 2008 food rations and cash subsidies distributed in each field, per beneficiary was on average USD $164 (USD $124 for food and $40 for cash subsidy to give them the flexibility to make purchases according to their primary needs of fresh food items).

• Over the year 2009, the programme is targeting around 300,000 refugees who are identified as eligible based on identification of their poverty status using a poverty-based approach.