Q. Consider the following statements with respect to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA):
1.It operates only in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
2.Its mandate is to facilitate peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
Explanation –
Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect. UNRWA operates in five areas: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The organization’s primary mandate is to provide essential services to Palestine refugees, including education, healthcare, relief and social services, infrastructure and camp improvement, and emergency assistance. UNRWA’s operations are primarily humanitarian in nature, and the organization does not aim to facilitate peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. It is a specialized agency established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1949. UNRWA receives generous support from UN Member States such as US, regional governments, and the European Union. It also gets a limited subsidy from the UN, which is used only for administrative costs. Top donors of 2022- USA, Germany, EU, Sweden, Norway, Japan, France, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Turkey.
Source: Forum IAS
