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News: India has contributed one million dollars to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency(UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees.
Facts:
- UNRWA: It was established as a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly in 1949 and became operational in 1950.
- Aim: To provide assistance and protection for registered Palestine refugees to help them achieve their full potential in human development.
- Who are Palestinian refugees? The operational definition of Palestine refugees is people whose normal place of residence was Palestine between 1946 and 1948 and who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab- Israeli conflict.
- Areas of Operation: The aid is provided in five areas of operation namely Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank including East Jerusalem.The aid for Palestinian refugees outside these five areas is provided by UNHCR.
- Funding: It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States. It also receives some funding from the Regular Budget of the United Nations which is used mostly for international staffing costs.
- Significance: It is the only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict.