The ongoing conflict in Syria is increasingly encroaching on UNRWA camps, and the Agency estimates that over half of the 529,000 Palestine refugees in Syria are now displaced, either within Syria or to neighbouring countries, including Lebanon and Jordan . The Saudi contribution will support UNRWA efforts to continue delivering food and cash assistance, as well as emergency relief, health and education services to the Palestine refugee population.

Welcoming the donation, UNRWA Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi said: “With the areas of Syria where most Palestinians live seeing intensified fighting, the number of Palestine refugees displaced and destitute is growing by the day. Once again, Saudi Arabia has demonstrated its commitment to mitigating the suffering of Palestine refugees.”

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the major UNRWA donors. As the Agency’s foremost Arab partner, Saudi Arabia has provided consistent support to the Agency’s work in health, education, and relief and social services. It has also contributed to the reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared refugee camp, in Lebanon , and to a flagship project to rehouse Palestine refugees in Rafah, Gaza . Phase I of that project was inaugurated in February 2013.

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some five million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, and microfinance.

Financial support to UNRWA has not kept pace with an increased demand for services caused by growing numbers of registered refugees, expanding need, and deepening poverty. As a result, the Agency’s General Fund (GF), supporting UNRWA’s core activities and 97 per cent reliant on voluntary contributions, has begun each year with a large projected deficit. Currently the deficit stands at US$ 54.3 million.

Speaking in Amman at the bi-annual meeting of UNRWA’s Advisory Commission, Grandi said that more than half of the 530,000 Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA in Syria are believed to be displaced; 15% of all refugees have fled abroad, including over 60,000 to overburdened Lebanon, which already hosts hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, and over 7,000 to Jordan”. According to Grandi, “even Egypt now hosts many Palestine refugees from Syria, and some have reached Gaza”.

UNRWA has joined the United Nations’ recent appeal for fresh funds to respond to the Syria crisis for the remainder of the year. The Agency is asking donors for a total of US$ 200m for its Syria-related emergency activities.

Commenting on UNRWA’s General Fund (GF) for core services, Grandi described the current financial situation as “challenging”. “While stringent austerity measures remain in place, the projected 2013 shortfall stands at US$ 65m, and for the time being cash flow will sustain UNRWA only through October. The struggle to bridge the gap will be more intense because internal financial management has been tightened almost to breaking point”, said Grandi.

He concluded, that “the distress of Palestine refugees in Syria and displaced from Syria has given the lack of progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process an added, and very stark dimension. For refugees, this might well be another tragic turning point. They feel it very strongly. Because across the lands of their painful and protracted exile, Palestinians are connected to each other by their history, their present and their future. The loss of camps in Syria and the uncertainty that it has wrought, are suffered by all, just as the bombardments in Gaza.”

As of 5 June 2013, UNRWA has recorded 1,820 families of Palestinian refugees from Syria as being of concern to the Agency. Currently, 197 Palestinians reside in Cyber City Refugee Camp, the government-appointed facility in the Irbid governorate of Jordan.

During his three-day visit to Turkey, UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres (photo) said his office (UNHCR) will contribute technical assistance to the Government by identifying the most vulnerable refugees and those with special needs.

“Registration is essential for refugee protection,” he said, calling the new registration system “innovative and an example of best practices.”

Previously, official Turkish figures only included the 186,000 refugees hosted in 17 Government-run camps. But with growing numbers of Syrians seeking assistance in towns and cities, the Government recently decided to include urban refugees.

Under the new policy, some 40,000 refugees in urban areas have been registered to date, with a further 30,000 waiting for appointments to register.

Mr. Guterres signed a cooperation agreement with the Turkish disaster relief agency to fund 10 more registration centres as well as an accord with the Turkish Red Crescent on cooperation in logistics, emergency and contingency support to UNHCR’s operations around the world. In addition, UNHCR is funding the production of an additional 18,500 tents through the Red Crescent.

At a press conference in Ankara, Mr. Guterres called on the international community to “establish a much stronger bilateral cooperation with Turkey, supporting this remarkable effort, not only helping refugees but contributing to the stability of the region.”

He also warned that there could be up to 3 million refugees by the end of the year if the conflict continues. Syria has been wracked by violence since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. Up to 70,000 people have died, more than 1 million have fled to neighbouring countries, and 2 million have been internally displaced.

“Our key objective is to make sure that, whatever the dimension of the tragedy, borders and protection space remain open,” Mr. Guterres said, while praising Turkey’s response to the crisis by welcoming all Syrians regardless of ethnic or religious background into the country.

During his visit, Mr. Guterres also met some of the Syrians living in camps when he toured Nizip Camp, home to almost 9,000 refugees in the province of Gaziantep.

“And he pleaded for more funds for humanitarian assistance, at a time when the Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan is only 50 percent funded,” his spokesperson added in a news briefing at UN Headquarters in New York, referring to the plan which currently seeks $348 million to cover humanitarian relief activities inside Syria, but has so far received $157 million.

The UN chief spent much of Friday visiting camps in Jordan and Turkey where Syrian refugees have sought safety from the violence in their home country, where at least 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 21 months ago. The violence has spawned more than 465,000 refugees, while more than 2.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to UN estimates.

Secretary-General Ban first saw the Za’atri camp in Jordan, where he also visited a food distribution centre run by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and a playground for children run by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). He later travelled to Turkey’s Islahiye camp, where he visited a tent city and spoke with some residents there.

“In remarks to the press following his visits to the camps, the Secretary-General said he was shocked, humbled and deeply moved by the stories that families shared with him,” his spokesperson said. “He recalled one child who simply told him he wanted to go back to school.”

Ban also urged the international community to show solidarity with the people of Syria, noting that the people he met today are mothers, brothers, fathers and sisters, describing them as “our family” and calling for the world to “stand by them.”

The spokesperson added that while in Turkey the Secretary-General will also meet with the country’s President and Prime Minister, as well as the Foreign Minister, before returning to New York on Saturday.

Following his visit to Islahiye camp, the Secretary-General travelled to the capital, Ankara, where he met President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoðlu.

They exchanged views on the crisis in Syria and its implications for neighbouring countries. Mr. Ban thanked Turkey for hosting thousands of Syrian refugees and assured the Turkish Government of the world body’s continued partnership in providing humanitarian assistance.

In addition, the four men discussed developments in the Middle East, including prospects for the Middle East peace process, and the situation in Somalia. The Secretary-General also underscored the importance of Turkey’s role in finding a durable solution to the issue of Cyprus.

“We are budgeting more than $64 million for winter preparations throughout the region, including for displaced Syrians in their own country,” the chief spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Melissa Fleming, told reporters in Geneva.

During the news briefing, Fleming outlined the measures the agency is taking in each of the countries which, altogether, are hosting the more than 340,000 refugees that are currently registered or awaiting registration with UNHCR.

In Jordan, where average temperatures drop to two degrees Celsius between mid-November and mid-March, UNHCR will focus on refugees living in camps as well as those living in local communities. There are more than 105,000 Syrians currently registered as refugees or awaiting registration in Jordan.

Refugees living in camps will receive a winter package that includes stoves and fuel, warm clothing, thermal blankets, plastic sheeting, hot water bottles and other items. The kit is in addition to the regular provision to refugees of blankets, sleeping mats, mattresses, jerry cans, kitchen sets, buckets, solar lamps and hygiene kits. Tent modifications are also planned for better insulation, Fleming said, adding that donors are providing more than 2,500 prefabricated family shelters, some 300 of which have already been set up in the camp.

Some 50,000 ‘urban refugees,’ who have been using their own resources or depending on help from Jordanian families, will receive cash assistance with an extra amount devoted for winter preparations in November and December. In addition, UNCHR will provide emergency grants to cover urgent needs such as clothing, fuel for heating and rental payments.

“We will also issue ‘basic needs vouchers’ which can be used in designated shops across Jordan to purchase winter clothing and a variety of non-food items for use during the winter,” Fleming said.

In Lebanon, where some 94,213 Syrians are scattered across the country, UNHCR is working to ensure the growing population has accommodation that provides sufficient protection from the cold, and that they have enough fuel and warm clothing.

In addition, cash rental assistance will be available for some 3,000 families as many are paying high accommodation prices. Fleming added that host families will also receive assistance to renovate their housing.

“Lebanese communities have generously welcomed their Syrian neighbours, but this generosity must be supported to meet the growing needs as the refugee population expands and the winter months approach,” the spokeswoman said.

In Turkey, UNHCR is working closely with the Government to provide support in the camps, which are currently hosting 96,000 refugees in seven provinces. Pre-fabricated homes, winter tents, and weather-proof facilities are all measures underway.

“UNHCR is prepared to offer its support and expertise in a number of areas, including procurement, technical specifications for various types of equipment, compilation of non-food aid packages, supply and logistics,” Fleming said. “Discussions are also underway to ensure preparedness for the needs of any urban refugees who may ultimately seek shelter in the camps during the winter months.”

In Iraq, assistance will be given to some 20,000 refugees in the three camps in the country. Some 12,000 vulnerable urban refugees and host families will receive cash grants to purchase kerosene for three months, and classrooms in camps will also be replaced with heated, pre-fabricated classrooms and aid packages will be distributed to all new arriving families.

In Syria itself, the agency has a Keeping Families Warm programme that will target 500,000 Syrians to provide for the rehabilitation of communal shelters, the distribution of non-food aid, and the provision of one-time cash assistance to the vulnerable.

“We are $12 million short of being able to fund this,” Fleming said. “The money is urgently required if we are to complete all of our winterization activities on time, prior to the onset of cold weather.”

More than 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in Syria since the uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad began last year. A further 2.5 million Syrians urgently need humanitarian aid, according to UN estimates.

“The United Nations is committed to continue working to help improve the humanitarian and socio-economic conditions of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon in full coordination with the Lebanese authorities,” said the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Derek Plumbly.

Plumbly toured the Burj Barajneh camp in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, with representatives of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to examine the humanitarian and living conditions in the camp.

It was the first visit to the camp for Plumbly, who toured several facilities and was briefed on the living conditions of over 17,000 registered refugees in the camp. Representatives of the camp also raised a number of concerns of the Palestinian refugee population in Lebanon, in relation to the right to work and other areas.

Lebanon’s parliament passed legislative measures two years ago to expand the right to work for Palestinian refugees, but they have yet to be implemented. UNRWA has repeatedly called for the measures to be acted on, stressing that they will help to ensure the socio-economic rights of a population that numbers almost half a million people.

Funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States, UNRWA provides assistance, protection and advocacy for nearly five million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory.

There are some 170,000 Sudanese refugees currently in South Sudan, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with more arriving from Sudan’s South Kordofan and Blue Nile states every day after fleeing conflict and food shortages.

UNHCR will begin distributing more soap, jerry cans and blankets to over 8,200 families with children under the age of five in the Yida camp in South Sudan’s Unity state, where health workers first saw a significant hike in death rates among refugee children in late June and early July.

“We are targeting the most vulnerable refugees in the camp to improve sanitization and minimize the risk of respiratory infections in these households. The distribution of other supplies such as plastic sheeting and buckets will continue throughout the month,” UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming told reporters in Geneva.

In the last three weeks, mortality and morbidity rates have stabilized and even decreased, as aid agencies took urgent action to address the root causes, she added.

UNHCR has so far dug two out of the six additional boreholes that will double the supply of potable water in Yida. Drainage systems are being improved at all seven water points to reduce the risk of contamination and water-borne diseases from standing water, and community latrines are being built to meet the needs of the growing population.

“Nonetheless, the challenges remain daunting in Yida,” said Fleming. “This remote border camp now hosts some 60,000 refugees from Sudan’s South Kordofan state, a four-fold increase since April. Children form more than a quarter of this population.”

She said that most refugees have been arriving in a very weak state – exhausted, dehydrated and malnourished. The rainy season has exacerbated the situation, bringing seasonal diseases to an already fragile population.

“The rains have also flooded nearby roads and turned Yida into a virtual island. Airlifts are now the only way to get life-saving aid into the camp,” Fleming noted.

UNHCR is now planning to airlift an additional 8,500 plastic sheets and 15,000 mosquito nets for immediate distribution to the new arrivals. Many are currently sleeping under poorly-thatched roofs, which increase the risk of respiratory illnesses and malaria particularly among children under five.

Meanwhile in Upper Nile state, one in three children is believed to be malnourished in Batil camp, UNHCR reported. Common health problems in this camp of 35,000 refugees include watery diarrhoea, respiratory tract infections and increasingly, malaria.

To address the high malnutrition rates, aid agencies started a blanket food distribution across the camp last Sunday, followed by a therapeutic supplementary feeding program to help children recover from moderate acute malnutrition. In addition, some 12 per cent of children under five are receiving treatment for severe acute malnutrition.

In total, Batil has five clinics for health and nutrition treatments, and 20 oral rehydration points throughout the camp. The health agencies have set up surveillance and response mechanisms for possible outbreaks of diarrhoeal and other diseases.

UNHCR noted that it has only received $47.5 million out of the $186 million it needs to meet the urgent needs of the Sudanese refugees in South Sudan.