The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Over two million Palestine refugees received medical consultation in 2022, says UNRWA
Despite the protracted challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, political instability and funding shortfalls, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has continued to deliver its essential work to provide health care services to Palestine refugees in 2022 across the Agency’s five fields of operation Jordan, Lebanon, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza and Syria, it said on Tuesday.
“Last year, we managed to provide medical consultations for eight million persons. Some people came more than once or twice but eight million consultations. That is really great which includes 300,000 people living with diabetes and hypertension or non-communicable diseases and also 90,000 pregnant mothers,” said Dr. Akihiro Seita, UNRWA’s Director of Health.
Out of the 5.9 million registered Palestine refugees, it is estimated that 3.2 million Palestinian refugees are registered at UNRWA Health Centers and receive health services free of charge. The number of consultations increased by 12.4 percent compared to 2021.
In 2022, UNRWA’s health programs successfully combated a resurgence of cholera in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, in addition to the Omicron strain of Covid-19.
Furthermore, UNRWA health centres in Gaza and the occupied West Bank provided vital health care amid hostilities.
“Last week, we had armed conflict in Gaza but still all 22 health centres stayed open and provided critical primary healthcare service and fifty percent of the staff continued to attend,” emphasized Dr. Seita.
Currently, it is estimated that 3.2 million or 53.9 per cent of Palestinian refugees still heavily rely on UNRWA services due to economic hardship, high unemployment rates, and worsening poverty levels, especially in conflict areas. Around one-third of registered Palestinian refugees reside in 58 official refugee camps, living side-by-side among host countries' communities.
UNRWA manages 240 health centers with more than 3,000 staff that provide a comprehensive range of primary health care.
“Gender-based violence is also on the rise. That is our main concern and worry”, said Dr. Seita. “At the same time, children are suffering not only mentally, but also physically. We started to provide mental health care for the children because they were realizing the importance of mental healthcare for the children.”
Mental health is another area of UNRWA’s health priorities. According to Dr. Seita, patients in Gaza have the highest detection rate at 26.4 per cent. In 2021, around 15,000 people needed psychosocial support. However, “in 2022, it has more than doubled – 35,000 people- so that the need for mental health continued to increase and there is no need to explain why”, said Dr. Seita. “If you see the news, how life is in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Lebanon, Syria and some parts of Jordan- life becomes more difficult.”
Over the span of seven decades of displacement, the number of Palestine refugees has increased from 750,000 in 1950 to 5.9 million in 2022. Throughout these years, UNRWA has been committed to providing quality health services to address the needs of Palestine refugees.
-ends-
STORY: Health Conditions of Palestine Refugees - UNRWA
TRT: 01’43”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
RELEASE DATE: 23 May 2023
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide shot: UN flag alley UN Geneva.
- Wide shot of podium, conference room, Palais des Nations, Geneva
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Akihiro Seita, UNRWA Director of Health: “Last year, we managed to provide medical consultations for 8 million persons. Some people came more than once or twice but 8 million consultations- that is really great which includes 300,000 people living with diabetes and hypertension or non-communicable diseases and also 90,000 pregnant mothers.”
- Medium shot: podium and speakers, with laptop in foreground
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Akihiro Seita, UNRWA Director of Health: “Last week, we had armed conflict in Gaza but still all 22 health centres stayed open and provided critical primary healthcare service and fifty percent of the staff continue to attend”
- Close up: camera
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) ) Akihiro Seita, UNRWA Director of Health: “Gender-based violence is also on the rise. That is our main concern and worry. At the same time, children are suffering not only mentally, but also physically. We started to provide mental health care for the children because they were realizing the importance of mental healthcare for the children.”
- Close up: technician, conference room
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) ) Akihiro Seita, UNRWA Director of Health: “In 2022, it has more than doubled – 35,000 people- so that the need for mental health continued to increase and there is no need to explain why. If you see the news, how life in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Lebanon, Syria and some parts of Jordan- life becomes more difficult.”
- Wide shot of technician, and podium with UN logo in background
- Close-up: speaker
- Close-up: attendees in the room
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
“A series of new Israeli operations and settlement plans in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, risk seriously undermining the viability of a Palestinian state and the realisation of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination,” the UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told the bi-weekly press conference in Geneva today.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OHCHR , UNECE , WHO
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and the World Health Organization.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNIS
UN voices concern over chemical spraying incident on Lebanon’s Blue Line
The UN reiterated concerns on Friday at reports that Israeli forces sprayed herbicide over areas north of the Blue Line separating Lebanon from Israel. The development poses a “serious humanitarian risk” to civilians living there, said the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), briefing journalists in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Gaza: Five patients evacuated as Rafah reopens while ‘too many stayed behind’ – WHO
As time is running out for thousands of critically ill patients in Gaza, hope is alive for medical evacuations to increase with the reopening of the Rafah crossing in the southern part of the Strip, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WHO , IFRC
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNOG , OHCHR
This Sunday marks five years of crisis in Myanmar. Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights, and James Rodehaver, chief of the Myanmar team, today spoke on the conduct of recent military-imposed elections, deploring the failure to respect the fundamental human rights of the country’s citizens. The process served only to exacerbate violence and societal polarization.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNEP , UNCTAD , HRC , OHCHR , UNHCR , WFP , UNICEF , WHO
Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section at the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, World Food Programme, United Nations Children's Fund, World Health Organization, United Nations Trade and Development, and the United Nations Environment Programme.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Brutal Gaza war erased years of progress on education, in an “assault on the future itself” – UNICEF
Restoring Gaza’s shattered education system is “lifesaving” and getting children back into schools must be an immediate priority, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNICEF , ITU
Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section at the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the United Nations Children's Fund, the International Telecommunication Union and the International Organization for Migration.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , HRC
Volker Türk, the UN Human Rights High Commissioner, made the following remarks during a briefing to a Special Session on Iran at the Human Rights Council.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , UNOPS , UNIS
Amid the launch of President Trump's Board of Peace and reconstruction talks on Gaza, UN aid agencies insisted on Friday that what Gazans need most is immediate relief from the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe there.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | IFRC , IOM , UNOPS , UNRWA , WHO
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the United Nations Office for Project Services, the UN International Organization for Migration, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies