14 apr 2017
The Palestinian ministry of education in Gaza has reiterated its rejection of all curriculum changes made by the UNRWA in its schools.
“We have informed the UNRWA that we refuse the changes it has made to its school curriculums in the Gaza Strip,” head of the educational sector Kamal Abu Aoun stated in press remarks on Thursday.
The local news agency al-Ray quoted Abu Aoun as saying that he met with head of the UNRWA education program Farid Abu Adira and called for necessarily reversing the changes made to schoolbooks.
He denied news reports talking that the ministry in Gaza suspended its contacts with the agency in protest at the curriculum changes.
“We have informed the UNRWA that we refuse the changes it has made to its school curriculums in the Gaza Strip,” head of the educational sector Kamal Abu Aoun stated in press remarks on Thursday.
The local news agency al-Ray quoted Abu Aoun as saying that he met with head of the UNRWA education program Farid Abu Adira and called for necessarily reversing the changes made to schoolbooks.
He denied news reports talking that the ministry in Gaza suspended its contacts with the agency in protest at the curriculum changes.
9 apr 2017
Five Palestinians were killed and 32 others were injured in the clashes that erupted in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon on Sunday, according to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA).
The Palestinian factions in the camp agreed to dissolve the Bilal Bader extremist group and gave them a 6-hour time limit to surrender and hand their weapons to the joint security force of the camp.
The NNA said that intermittent clashes broke out during the night between the joint security force and the Bilal Bader group, adding that rocket-propelled grenades were fired, three of which fell outside the camp with no injuries reported.
The NNA added that the Lebanese army tightened the security measures at the entrances of the camp and in the surrounding areas.
The Palestinian factions in Ain al-Hilweh said in a press conference that the joint security force is entitled by Palestinians and the Lebanese state to enter any place in the camp without exception and end any disorder.
They confirmed their adherence to the Palestinian unity in addressing all issues.
Ayman Shanaa, a Hamas political official in Lebanon, told the PIC that a state of cautious calm prevailed in Ain al-Hilweh during the day, adding that his Movement is working hard in cooperation with the Palestinian factions to reach a complete ceasefire.
Shanaa said, "What matters to us is to protect the lives of civilians in Ain al-Hilweh and restore the economic and social security to the camp."
These clashes came six weeks after similar clashes broke out in the camp which ended with a Palestinian consensus to form a joint security force to oversee the security situation in the camp.
In statements quoted by Associated Press news agency and a number of Lebanese media outlets, the Palestinian security chief Subhi Abu Arab said that the Palestinian forces will continue their operations in the camp until Bilal Bader and the other gunmen turn themselves in.
Bilal Bader, a leader in Jund al-Sham, and his group are accused of extremism and using rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns in the clashes which flared on Friday and continued till Sunday morning in Ain al-Hilweh.
The NNA reported that the clashes in the Palestinian camp led to cutting off the road between Sidon city, where the camp is located, and other parts in southern Lebanon.
Ain al-Hilweh, the most populated camp among the 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, has a population of more than 54,000 Palestinian refugees out of 450,000 registered in the United Nations in Lebanon. Thousands of Palestinians fleeing violence in Syria have joined them over the past years.
The Palestinian factions in the camp agreed to dissolve the Bilal Bader extremist group and gave them a 6-hour time limit to surrender and hand their weapons to the joint security force of the camp.
The NNA said that intermittent clashes broke out during the night between the joint security force and the Bilal Bader group, adding that rocket-propelled grenades were fired, three of which fell outside the camp with no injuries reported.
The NNA added that the Lebanese army tightened the security measures at the entrances of the camp and in the surrounding areas.
The Palestinian factions in Ain al-Hilweh said in a press conference that the joint security force is entitled by Palestinians and the Lebanese state to enter any place in the camp without exception and end any disorder.
They confirmed their adherence to the Palestinian unity in addressing all issues.
Ayman Shanaa, a Hamas political official in Lebanon, told the PIC that a state of cautious calm prevailed in Ain al-Hilweh during the day, adding that his Movement is working hard in cooperation with the Palestinian factions to reach a complete ceasefire.
Shanaa said, "What matters to us is to protect the lives of civilians in Ain al-Hilweh and restore the economic and social security to the camp."
These clashes came six weeks after similar clashes broke out in the camp which ended with a Palestinian consensus to form a joint security force to oversee the security situation in the camp.
In statements quoted by Associated Press news agency and a number of Lebanese media outlets, the Palestinian security chief Subhi Abu Arab said that the Palestinian forces will continue their operations in the camp until Bilal Bader and the other gunmen turn themselves in.
Bilal Bader, a leader in Jund al-Sham, and his group are accused of extremism and using rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns in the clashes which flared on Friday and continued till Sunday morning in Ain al-Hilweh.
The NNA reported that the clashes in the Palestinian camp led to cutting off the road between Sidon city, where the camp is located, and other parts in southern Lebanon.
Ain al-Hilweh, the most populated camp among the 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, has a population of more than 54,000 Palestinian refugees out of 450,000 registered in the United Nations in Lebanon. Thousands of Palestinians fleeing violence in Syria have joined them over the past years.
7 apr 2017
A Palestinian man was killed and seven others were wounded in clashes that broke out on Friday in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese national news agency reported that the armed clashes erupted between the Palestinian joint security force and armed men of extremist parties. Gunfire and shells were traded during the clashes.
Seven fighters were injured, four of them were of the Palestinian joint security force, and one civilian was killed. He was identified as Mousa al-Kharbiti. The wounded were taken to the hospital.
A Palestinian house as well as a commercial shop in al-Ras al-Ahmar area were burned due to the armed clashes.
Ain al-Hilweh is Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, with a population of 80,000 Palestinians. The camp is de facto off-limits for the Lebanese security forces.
The Lebanese national news agency reported that the armed clashes erupted between the Palestinian joint security force and armed men of extremist parties. Gunfire and shells were traded during the clashes.
Seven fighters were injured, four of them were of the Palestinian joint security force, and one civilian was killed. He was identified as Mousa al-Kharbiti. The wounded were taken to the hospital.
A Palestinian house as well as a commercial shop in al-Ras al-Ahmar area were burned due to the armed clashes.
Ain al-Hilweh is Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, with a population of 80,000 Palestinians. The camp is de facto off-limits for the Lebanese security forces.
19 mar 2017
70% of civilian buildings in Deraa refugee camp, in southern Damascus, have been partially or totally destroyed by military offensives launched by the Syrian government army, a rights group reported Saturday evening.
According to a report by the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria (AGPS), 70% of Deraa structures have been knocked down by onslaughts carried out by the Syrian government forces using missiles, barrel bombs, gas cylinders, and artillery shells.
At the same time, water supplies to the camp have been cut off for 1,071 days running.
The tough cordon imposed by the regime troops on the area has also led to an acute shortage in much-needed medicines and foodstuff.
According to UN data, 450,000 Palestinian refugees have been taking shelter in Syria, 95% among whom are reportedly in urgent need of medical assistance.
AGPS is a London-based human rights watchdog that monitors the situation of Palestinian refugees in war-torn Syria without bias or a political agenda. It was established in 2012.
According to a report by the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria (AGPS), 70% of Deraa structures have been knocked down by onslaughts carried out by the Syrian government forces using missiles, barrel bombs, gas cylinders, and artillery shells.
At the same time, water supplies to the camp have been cut off for 1,071 days running.
The tough cordon imposed by the regime troops on the area has also led to an acute shortage in much-needed medicines and foodstuff.
According to UN data, 450,000 Palestinian refugees have been taking shelter in Syria, 95% among whom are reportedly in urgent need of medical assistance.
AGPS is a London-based human rights watchdog that monitors the situation of Palestinian refugees in war-torn Syria without bias or a political agenda. It was established in 2012.
15 mar 2017
Three Palestinian toddlers died in war-tattered Syria after the government troops denied them access out of Yalda near Yarmouk refugee camp in the southern outskirts of Damascus for urgent treatment at Damascus hospitals.
A Wednesday report by the Action Group for the Palestinians of Syria (AGPS), identified the three toddlers as: six-day-old Jaafar Abu Khalil, one-day-old Abdullah Kharmendi, and 30-day-old Rawaa Abu Hamdan.
According to AGPS, residents of Yalda town and Yarmouk camp have frequently launched cries for help over the deteriorating health services in the area due to the tough cordon enforced by the government forces and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP – GC) for over 1,361 days.
AGPS documented the death of 185 Palestinian refugees in besieged Yarmouk camp due to undernourishment and medical neglect.
Meanwhile, Palestinian resident of al-Neirab refugee camp, in Aleppo, Youssef al-Kubra has been locked up in Syrian penitentiaries for the fifth year running. The detainee is one of the prominent Islamic Jihad leaders in Palestine.
In another development, the Palestine Charity Commission, in partnership with Shourouq al-Shams Foundation distributed $2,500 to 50 orphans in al-Muzeireeb town as part of ongoing endeavors to assuage the calamitous state of affairs endured by the Palestinian refugee community in southern Syria.
A Wednesday report by the Action Group for the Palestinians of Syria (AGPS), identified the three toddlers as: six-day-old Jaafar Abu Khalil, one-day-old Abdullah Kharmendi, and 30-day-old Rawaa Abu Hamdan.
According to AGPS, residents of Yalda town and Yarmouk camp have frequently launched cries for help over the deteriorating health services in the area due to the tough cordon enforced by the government forces and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP – GC) for over 1,361 days.
AGPS documented the death of 185 Palestinian refugees in besieged Yarmouk camp due to undernourishment and medical neglect.
Meanwhile, Palestinian resident of al-Neirab refugee camp, in Aleppo, Youssef al-Kubra has been locked up in Syrian penitentiaries for the fifth year running. The detainee is one of the prominent Islamic Jihad leaders in Palestine.
In another development, the Palestine Charity Commission, in partnership with Shourouq al-Shams Foundation distributed $2,500 to 50 orphans in al-Muzeireeb town as part of ongoing endeavors to assuage the calamitous state of affairs endured by the Palestinian refugee community in southern Syria.
13 mar 2017
The Government of Sweden, through the Swedish International Development Agency Cooperation (SIDA), has contributed $6.6 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), to support the Agency’s emergency response to the Syria regional crisis and the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), according to an UNRWA statement.
This latest contribution from Sweden will enable interventions under the Agency’s emergency appeals that are included in the Humanitarian Response Plans for Syria and the oPt, and the UN-coordinated appeals in Jordan and Lebanon, helping UNRWA to ensure that Palestine refugees affected by these crises are provided with protection, humanitarian assistance, food assistance and basic services to help alleviate their suffering.
“The ongoing crisis in Syria and the situation in the oPt continue to present protection risks and humanitarian concerns for Palestine refugees throughout the region,” said Francoise Vanni, the director of External Relations and Communications at UNRWA. “Within this context, the support of our partners remains crucial in enabling UNRWA to address the humanitarian and human development needs of conflict-affected refugees, so that they may maintain their resilience and keep hope for the future,” he said.
“As such, we are deeply grateful to Sweden for their strong partnership and generous contribution to our emergency interventions in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the oPt, which will allow UNRWA to continue delivering food and cash assistance, education in emergencies, shelter, psychosocial support, environmental health, and other critical front-line services to Palestine refugees.”
According to WAFA, Sweden has long been a reliable and consistent supporter of UNRWA and remains one of the Agency’s top donors, said the statement.
In 2016, Sweden contributed $58.2 million to UNRWA, placing them among the top five donors to the Agency’s core programs and services and making them the sixth largest overall donor.
This latest contribution from Sweden will enable interventions under the Agency’s emergency appeals that are included in the Humanitarian Response Plans for Syria and the oPt, and the UN-coordinated appeals in Jordan and Lebanon, helping UNRWA to ensure that Palestine refugees affected by these crises are provided with protection, humanitarian assistance, food assistance and basic services to help alleviate their suffering.
“The ongoing crisis in Syria and the situation in the oPt continue to present protection risks and humanitarian concerns for Palestine refugees throughout the region,” said Francoise Vanni, the director of External Relations and Communications at UNRWA. “Within this context, the support of our partners remains crucial in enabling UNRWA to address the humanitarian and human development needs of conflict-affected refugees, so that they may maintain their resilience and keep hope for the future,” he said.
“As such, we are deeply grateful to Sweden for their strong partnership and generous contribution to our emergency interventions in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the oPt, which will allow UNRWA to continue delivering food and cash assistance, education in emergencies, shelter, psychosocial support, environmental health, and other critical front-line services to Palestine refugees.”
According to WAFA, Sweden has long been a reliable and consistent supporter of UNRWA and remains one of the Agency’s top donors, said the statement.
In 2016, Sweden contributed $58.2 million to UNRWA, placing them among the top five donors to the Agency’s core programs and services and making them the sixth largest overall donor.
