REFUGEE FAMILIES IN SPECIAL HARDSHIP

The most disadvantaged and vulnerable refugees, such as women whose husbands have died or whose husbands have divorced or abandoned them, the elderly, the chronically ill, refugees with disabilities, or the very young, are provided with direct material and financial assistance under the "special hardship'' programme. Of the 3.9 million Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA and eligible for services as at June 2002, 5.8 per cent were receiving relief assistance, with the largest percentage of refugees in this category in Lebanon and Gaza due to the more difficult economic conditions there.

Refugee families who are registered as special hardship cases are eligible for food and cash assistance, shelter rehabilitation, are given priority in the programmes organized by the social services division, and preference in enrolling at the vocational training centres. The status of these families is regularly reviewed by Agency social workers and the eligibility criteria for this assistance is strict. When the oldest son in a single parent household reaches the age of 18, the family is no longer eligible for assistance.

The Agency's social workers ensure that support is given to the special hardship case families. They also try to address the problems which frequently underlie and compound the family's poverty, including encouraging clients to enrol in developmental social services programmes, such as joining a women's programme centre. However, most Agency social workers have case-loads of more than 270 each which only allows them six hours per family a year to diagnose the problems underlying and aggravating the family's poverty and to work with them to improve their situation.