UNRWA is Becoming Thick With BRICS
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Fillipo Grandi - (Opinion) March 14, 2012 - 12:00am

The last summit of the so-called BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) almost exactly a year ago saw the unveiling of a compelling call to global humanitarian and development action. The final communiqué envisioned an alliance united by the “overarching common objective of a strong and shared desire for peace and security, contributing significantly to the development of humanity, establishing a more equitable and fair world.”

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Tough Sell For U.N. Palestinian Agency
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - March 2, 2012 - 1:00am

Washington — Twice a year Filippo Grandi, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, comes to Washington to make the case for continuing funding for his organization, and the job only gets tougher. The U.N. agency, which is the primary provider of education, healthcare and housing for Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East, was never an easy sell on Capitol Hill and UNRWA has been working hard to convince lawmakers and administration officials that the cause is worthy.

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Interior Ministry sets up Palestinian database
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Stephen Dockery - February 14, 2012 - 1:00am

BEIRUT: The Interior Ministry announced Monday that it is setting up the first state-held database of Palestinian refugees to try to alleviate their personal status paperwork problems. Interior Minister Marwan Charbel introduced the new registry at his office in Beirut Monday, saying it was part of the government’s obligation to the Palestinian people to improve their lives without undercutting the right of return.

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Israel deputy FM: UNRWA 'morally, politically unacceptable'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
December 9, 2011 - 1:00am

TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) -- Israel's deputy foreign minister accused the UN agency for Palestinian refugees of perpetuating Palestine's conflict with Israel, in a speech at the UN refugee headquarters in Geneva on Thursday, Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported. Calling UNRWA "morally and politically unacceptable," Danny Ayalon said the UN applied double standards by not resettling Palestinian refugees through its central body for refugees, UNCHR, and creating the separate Palestinian refugee agency.

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Thousands of UN schools staff strike for third time in Gaza Strip
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Hugh Naylor - November 2, 2011 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM // Employees at about 240 United Nations schools in the Gaza Strip have gone on strike for the third time in little more than a month to protest against the punishment of a teacher with alleged unauthorised links to Hamas. Suheil Al Hindi was suspended from his teaching duties by the UN's Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in September for reportedly organising an event attended by Hamas officials. That was in breach of the UN agency's policy of barring participation in political activity without first obtaining permission.

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UNRWA project breaks down stereotypes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Olivia Alabaster - (Analysis) October 12, 2011 - 12:00am

Through increasing communication between young Lebanese and Palestinians, “Dignity for All,” a program organized by the U.N. Refugee and Works Agency, is hoping to combat the danger of stereotyping. En route to visit a refugee camp for the first time, Lebanese schoolchildren are asked how they view Palestinians, of which there are an estimated 400,000 in the country. Many answer that, “We know they are terrorists, and that they sell drugs.’”

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General strike continues in UNRWA schools in Gaza Strip
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
October 6, 2011 - 12:00am

A general strike in all schools run by United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip continued on Wednesday. The strike was prompted by the UNRWA's Arab staff union to protest a decision which suspended the union head's work for three unpaid months. Teachers demonstrated in front of the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza city, chanting slogans against the humanitarian organization. They halted work in all UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip, which host 220,000 students.

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Haniyeh urged to allow students out of Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
August 24, 2011 - 12:00am

A Palestinian human rights official is urging the leadership in Gaza to reverse a decision blocking eight students from traveling to the United States for university. Rawyeh Ash-Shawwa, member of the legislative council and head of the Independent Commission for Human Rights, called on Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh to personally reverse the decision. She called the decision an explicit violation of human rights.

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Palestinian Factions Reconsider Relations with Assad
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line
by David Miller - August 17, 2011 - 12:00am

A fierce attack by the Syrians on a Palestinian refugee camp has led Palestinian factions, both Islamist and staunchly secular, to reexamine their traditionally close ties with Damascus. Headquartered in the Syrian capital as the Bashar Al-Assad regime falters, Palestinians were cautious not to badmouth the Syrian president personally as they condemned Sunday’s naval bombardment of the Raml Palestinian refugee camp.

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Syria orders thousands into stadium in Latakia crackdown
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Borzou Daragahi, Roula Hajjar - August 16, 2011 - 12:00am

Syrian security forces seize IDs and cellphones from those gathered at the soccer arena, activists say. Five people are killed, and the U.N. is worried about Palestinian refugees in the area. Syrian security forces cracking down on opposition strongholds in Latakia herded thousands of people into a stadium and took away their identification cards and cellphones, activists said Monday.

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