UNRWA: A Lifeline for the Displaced Families in the Northern West Bank

07 April 2025

Since the Israeli Forces launched operation “Iron Wall” in January 2025 in the northern West Bank, and the subsequent displacement of over 45,000 people from Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps, more than 8,100 Palestinian families there are facing a harsh reality, one that is unprecedented since 1967.

With her heart burdened by worries, Zaina Ghanem, a mother of three daughters from Tulkarm refugee camp, recounts her family’s suffering during displacement, saying, “It was an indescribable experience. My six-year-old daughter lost the ability to speak due to the trauma after our home was raided, and we were forced to evacuate.”

Like others, Zaina’s family receive direct aid from UNRWA. She notes that her needs are increasing. “We are grateful for the dignity kits we received from the agency, but we need more financial support and more food assistance so that we can meet our basic needs,” she says. Dignity kits contain food and personal hygiene supplies, while other help from UNRWA includes blankets and mattresses.

In another area of the Tulkarm camp, the tragedy repeats itself in a different form for Aisha Salem. She found herself in the middle of the rubble of her home, and an ambulance was her only escape. Aisha describes what happened, saying, “I couldn’t leave my home except by ambulance, in coordination with the Red Cresent. I’m currently staying temporarily with a family until I can find a rental house, but it’s not easy. I’ve become the sole provider for my family, and I urgently need help.”

Aisha is currently receiving a monthly financial contribution of 1,000 shekels (about US$ 280) from UNRWA to help her rent a house for her family, who have been left homeless, in addition to food and relief assistance.

Since the beginning of the Israeli Forces’ operations, UNRWA has stepped up assistance in various forms to the displaced families. For people displaced from Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps, and now living in shelters or rented homes, UNRWA teams have distributed thousands of blankets, mattresses, and essential relief supplies to 968 displaced families. The Agency has also provided multi-purpose cash assistance to more than 2,000 households. Additionally, UNRWA field teams continue to offer psychosocial support, including psychological sessions for children and women, and psychological first aid to more than 3,000 families. Thousands of families have also been referred to partner organizations for additional food and shelter assistance.

In Jenin, Lubna Abu Labadeh, who lost her husband recently, has had to leave her demolished home. She says, “I have become the sole breadwinner for my four children, and I am trying to survive for them.” UNRWA is providing Lubna with cash assistance of 1,600 shekels (almost US$ 445), along with the medical treatments her family needs. She stresses the importance of psychosocial support for her children, who are suffering from trauma and mental pressure due to their ongoing displacement. Lubna appeals for international support, and says, “I hope that UNRWA and the international community will help us provide a safe home for us and our children so that we can begin to regain part of our normal life.”

Concerning UNRWA’s interventions for the 20,000 Palestine Refugees – over 3,500 families – displaced from Jenin camp alone, the Agency responded by distributing thousands of dignity kits containing food items, and more than 2,600 cash-based assistance grants to support the displaced families residing in shelters.

UNRWA also expanded its health services for displaced people by establishing 13 alternative health points in Jenin and Tulkarm, as well as providing services through an electronic referral system in five towns in the Jenin governorate. Moreover, a mobile health team was deployed to serve five areas surrounding the camps, enabling thousands of displaced Palestine Refugees to access health care and psychological support in their temporary shelters.

In light of the complicated humanitarian reality and the growing needs, UNRWA remains the cornerstone in responding to the plight of Palestine Refugees in the northern West Bank. The agency renews its call to the international community to increase funding and support to help it continue its vital efforts and to restore hope and dignity to families who have lost everything except their will to return to their homes.