{"id":242733,"date":"2020-11-25T19:27:07","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T00:27:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=242733"},"modified":"2020-12-01T19:28:10","modified_gmt":"2020-12-02T00:28:10","slug":"essential-unrwa-assistance-to-survivors-of-gender-based-violence-is-at-risk-due-to-severe-financial-shortfall-press-release","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/essential-unrwa-assistance-to-survivors-of-gender-based-violence-is-at-risk-due-to-severe-financial-shortfall-press-release\/","title":{"rendered":"Essential UNRWA Assistance to Survivors of Gender-based Violence Is at Risk Due to Severe Financial Shortfall – Press Release"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
25 November 2020<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

Arabic: \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628\u064a\u0629<\/a><\/p>\n

Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of the global 16 days of activism against gender-based violence (GBV), UNRWA pays respect to its staff who moved swiftly and resolutely at the onset of the global pandemic to meet the needs of GBV survivors.<\/p>\n

UNRWA saw first-hand the impact of early COVID-19 containment measures, including movement restrictions, particularly on women and girls. For example, the number of GBV survivors identified through UNRWA services dropped by more than half in March and April in some fields, while at the same time the severity of physical assault and psychological abuse reported increased.<\/p>\n

Despite the difficulty of continuing their work during lockdowns, UNRWA staff pivoted to offer remote assistance, WhatsApp check-ins and adapted referral pathways. UNRWA health clinics are using physical distancing and personal protective equipment (PPE) and delivering remote mental health and psychosocial support and to address GBV as part of the COVID-19 response. The Agency\u2019s Staying Safe Online campaign as part of its work on Addressing Violence against Children will incorporate animation to build awareness with all UNRWA beneficiaries, including\u00a0children, youth and parents,\u00a0to work together to enjoy safe, online experiences.<\/p>\n

These efforts have not been in vain. In the first months of global restrictions, between March and July, UNRWA assisted nearly 1500 GBV survivors, the vast majority seeking assistance between May and July following the initial decline.<\/p>\n

Even before the global impact of COVID-19 became visible, violence against women and girls was an issue of pandemic proportions that continues to deny the right to live in safety and dignity, including in one\u2019s own home.<\/p>\n

As UN agencies and civil society unite over the next 16 days to \u2018Orange the World\u2019, UNRWA will share the stories of staff under extraordinary conditions. Social media stories will highlight staff-led innovations in the midst of humanitarian emergency, a global pandemic and financial crisis to ensure safety is everyone\u2019s right: #safety at home, #safety at work, #safety on the streets, #safety online and through #safe reporting.<\/p>\n

UNRWA is operating at full capacity but with inadequate resources, and funds are now urgently needed so staff can continue to deliver essential services without disruption. With the Agency\u2019s cash flow at their lowest levels since 2012, and with needs of refugees critically high because of the impact of COVID-19, the risk for GBV survivors become acute if support to them is threatened. Only if sufficient funding is received will the Agency be able to continue to support Palestine refugees most at risk, and for whom the consequences of GBV will continue well beyond the current pandemic.<\/p>\n

Under the theme \u2018Orange the World: Safety from Violence is Everyone\u2019s Right’, UNRWA will share the stories of staff under extraordinary conditions and highlight staff-led innovations in the midst of humanitarian emergency, a global pandemic and financial crisis to ensure safety is everyone\u2019s right: #safety at home, #safety at work, #safety on the streets, #safety online and #safe reporting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
Background Information:<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

UNRWA is confronted with an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. As a result, the UNRWA programme budget, which supports the delivery of core essential services, operates with a large shortfall. UNRWA encourages all Member States to work collectively to exert all possible efforts to fully fund the Agency\u2019s programme budget.<\/p>\n

UNRWA emergency programmes and key projects, also operating with large shortfalls, are funded through separate funding portals. UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5.7 million Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA across its five fields of operation. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection and microfinance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Sami Mshasha<\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
Director of Communications, Arabic Language Spokesperson<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Mobile:<\/div>\n
\n
+972 (0)54 216 8295<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Office:<\/div>\n
\n
+972 (0)258 90724<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Email:<\/div>\n
\n
s.mshasha@unrwa.org<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Tamara Alrifai<\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
UNRWA Spokesperson<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Mobile:<\/div>\n
\n
+962 (0)79 090 0140<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Email:<\/div>\n
\n
T.ALRIFAI@UNRWA.ORG<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

25 November 2020 Arabic: \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628\u064a\u0629 Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of the global 16 days of activism against gender-based violence (GBV), UNRWA pays respect to its staff who moved swiftly and resolutely at the onset of the global pandemic to meet the needs of GBV […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"template-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[1329],"document-source":[1817],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[1945,6257,2533,2309,1745,2097,6245,1841],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6544],"class_list":["post-242733","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-press-release","document-source-united-nations-relief-and-works-agency-for-palestine-refugees-in-the-near-east-unrwa","document-subject-assistance","document-subject-gender","document-subject-health","document-subject-protection","document-subject-refugees-and-displaced-persons","document-subject-social-issues","document-subject-violence","document-subject-women","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-arabic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/242733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/242733\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=242733"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=242733"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=242733"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=242733"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=242733"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=242733"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=242733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}