UNITED NATIONS: UNRWA, the UN relief agency charged with providing aid to Palestinian refugees, announced on Tuesday that it was suspending its financial aid programme to the thousands of Gazans whose homes were destroyed during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge last summer.

The programme was intended to assist them in repairing houses, as well as renting apartments for those who have remained homeless since the assault.

According to a press statement by UNRWA, more than 96,000 homes belonging to refugees were damaged or destroyed during Protective Edge, and the cost to repair them is estimated at $720 million.

Until now, UNRWA claims that it only received $135 million of the pledges for the programme.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2015

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