Washington, D.C. (April 15, 2024) – A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies analyzes the ties between the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). The report examines the history, financing, staff, and institutional culture of UNRWA, revealing possible connections to terrorist organizations and raising serious questions about its operations.
The United Nations has two refugee agencies: UNRWA for Palestinians, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for all other refugees in the world.
About UNRWA:
● Refugee Numbers. There are 35.3 million registered refugees worldwide:
29.4 million are under UNHCR’s mandate and 5.9 million (all Palestinians,
by definition) are under UNRWA’s.
● Staff. UNRWA staff is composed of 30,000 employees (mostly Palestinian
refugees). UNHCR staff totals 18,879.
● Funding. The United States is the top funder of UNRWA.
● Advice and Assistance. The U.S. State Department’s Assistant Secretary for PRM (the bureau in charge of refugee assistance abroad and resettlement at home) chairs UNRWA’s advisory commission, tasked with assisting the agency’s leadership.
● Service Provision. UNRWA is the largest provider of social services for Palestinians and the main employer of Palestinian refugees.
● Refugee Status. Palestinian refugee status is inherited: Descendants of Palestinian male refugee, including legally adopted children, are also eligible for registration under UNRWA.
● Institutional Role. UNRWA established itself as a quasi-state institution, taking on responsibilities traditionally assigned to national governments, such as education, health, and social services, in addition to the preservation and transmission of Palestinian political identity.
The report addresses allegations linking UNRWA staff to the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel that led to a pause in funding by many top donors. But this pause is not as dramatic as it appears; alternative channels to get humanitarian aid to Gaza are already underway and, in any case, most of the U.S. FY 2024 funding to UNRWA was delivered prior to the pause.
“As Congress decides whether to resume funding to UNRWA, stakeholders need to understand UNRWA’s true mandate and biases,” said Dr. Nayla Rush, a senior researcher at the Center and author of the report. “As a result of several ‘independent’ investigations, new guidelines and reforms will be announced,” she continued, “and funding and operations will resume as normal. But what will not change is UNRWA’s own leadership culture and staff mindset.”
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