UNRWA was established by United Nations member states in 1949 to carry out direct relief and development programs for Palestinians displaced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
UN Photo has curated a collection from its archive, tracing the agency’s important work since its inception across the region and over the past 74 years.
Here are some snapshots from Full photo article:
Children attend class at a UNRWA-supported school in the Gaza Strip in 1954. (file)
In 1950, the United Nations agency met the needs of about 750,000 Palestinian refugees.
The agency has conducted a series of activities. In 1954, UNRWA embarked on a project to anchor the sand and create at least a third of the clay plain below for refugees to farm.
Camel caravans brought seedlings to the reclaimed area, and by the end of 1956, more than 2,500,000 seedlings had been planted to protect 3,700 dunums of cultivable land in the dune area.
Children are seen receiving physiotherapy treatment at the Cartbawi Center in Lebanon. (document)
In 1959 and 1960, UNRWA spent nearly 100,000 USD on comprehensive education and training for 119 disabled children.
There are specialized centers established at 15 campuses in the Middle East.
A Palestinian man salvages items from the rubble of a house destroyed by an Israeli attack on a building in the northern Gaza Strip in 2014. (file)
Today, approximately 5.9 million people in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria are eligible to receive UNRWA services.
Learn more about what UNRWA is doing to help Palestinian refugees This.
Stories from the United Nations Archives
Catch up more Stories from the United Nations Archives Thisand view UN Video playlists This.
Our series showcases epic moments in United Nations history, honed from United Nations Audiovisual Libraryis 49,400 hours of video, 18,000 hours of audio recordings and thousands of photos.
