There are nearly 5.6 million Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA. Photo credit: Business Insider
The Norwegian Embassy in Lebanon said it will contribute $3 million in response to the flash appeal launched by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in favor of Palestinian refugees from Syria (PRS) in Lebanon.
On its Facebook page, the Embassy said Palestinian refugees are amongst the most vulnerable and marginalized communities in Lebanon.
It added that UNRWA continues to provide vital healthcare, protection, education, and relief services for Palestine refugees in Lebanon and that the Agency has been managing the anti-coronavirus fight in cooperation with the Lebanese government, UN bodies, and international/local NGOs.
According to information collected by UNRWA, more than 80 per cent of PRS indicate that the Agency’s cash assistance is their main source of income. 95 per cent of PRS are food insecure, while about 89 per cent of PRS live in poverty. 36 to 57 per cent of PRS youth face unemployment. In August and September 2019, UNRWA conducted a verification exercise of PRS in Lebanon and verified the physical presence of 27,803 PRS in the country.
The number of PRS in Lebanon has been gradually decreasing over the past two years, and UNRWA estimates that in 2020 the country will continue to host approximately 27,700 PRS (8,450 families). UNRWA said PRS’s vulnerability is further compounded by their precarious legal status. According to the Agency’s monitoring data, around 55 percent of PRS do not possess valid legal residency documents.
The lack of a valid legal status, often coupled with outdated civil registration documents, results in severely restricted freedom of movement for some PRS in Lebanon due to fear of arrest, detention and being issued a departure order.