United Nations Relief and Works Agency

Established in: 1949
Global presence: 8 countries

UNRWA employs over 30,000 people, most of them Palestinian refugees, and a small number of international staff Originally intended to provide employment and direct relief, its mandate has broadened to include providing education, health care, and social services to its target population. UNRWA operates in five areas: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem; aid for Palestinian refugees outside these five areas is provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), established in 1950 as the main agency to aid all other refugees worldwide. UNRWA is the only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict.