UNRWA workers strike in the Middle East effect Palestinian refugee camps

Workers employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency on Tuesday staged a strike in the agency's institutions and schools in Jordan, the occupied territories and Syria and Lebanon.

In Jordan, some 6,000 UNRWA employees observed a strike demanding increases in service, end compensation and early voluntary retirement, reconsideration of recruitment procedures and improved services level in schools and health services.

The strikers, who work for 13 Palestinian camps in Jordan, threatened to carry out an open and comprehensive strike on September 28 if UNRWA does not meet their demands.

Last July UNRWA promised its employees that it would respond to their demands in a period not to exceed five months. But it later apologized because of a "deficit in its budget," which resulted in the dismissal of 15% of its employees and freezing the appointment of 250 teachers in its schools. The agency's budget for the current year is estimated at US $314 million. But it suffers a deficit of US $85.

The strike covered 640 schools in which some 500,000 students are enrolled. The strike was also observed in 122 health and other service centers in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian territories. In Gaza, some 1,000 employees out of 5,700 gathered at the square of UNRWA's headquarters.

The agency provides, education, health and relief services to some 3.5 million Palestinian refugees. It was established in 1948 after some 700,000 Palestinians were displaced when Israel was created. More Palestinian refugees fled to UNRWA's camps after the 1967 Israeli aggressions.