I feel like I’ve lost my life,’ say victims of UNRWA funding cuts
“I haven’t just lost a job. I feel like I’ve lost my life,” says 39-year-old Raeda Younis, who has worked for UNRWA, the U.N. agency charged with aiding Palestinian refugees, for 16 years.
Osama Naseer, 48, agrees.
“It is our right to live in dignity like anyone else,” fumes the 17-year employee. “It is time to tear down the wall of silence and tell Donald Trump we will not surrender to his racist policies even if we die of hunger.”
Raeda and Osama are among nearly1,000 U.N. employees whose contracts were terminated or who will be transferred to part-time work by the end of the year. The cuts came after the U.S. government, UNRWA’s largest funder, eliminated its contribution of $125 million. And now, the agency says its schools and health centers might soon have to shut down.
In a territory with an unemployment rate of more than 50 percent, UNRWA jobs had been among the most stable and sufficiently paid. Many Gazans had been working for the agency for more than 20 years. Raeda first served for three years in on an emergency team that helped out during crises, like during wars. Then she transferred to a school and became a counselor. She never dreamed she’d lose her job so suddenly.
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UN Funding Cuts Jeopardize Partner NGO Helping Deaf Children
Zeyad Aabed has devoted his career—26 years—to running an NGO dedicated to offering education and health services to the deaf. It was, to say the least, a labor of love. But now, much of the funding on which his NGO depends is drying up. And today, he feels exhausted and depressed, fearful he will have to close the El-Amal Rehabilitation Society altogether.
The steep cuts in funding for the U.N. agency charged with aiding at least 5 million Palestinian refugees are sending myriad ripple effects across the Gaza Strip. In the news are the UNRWA employees whose jobs have been eliminated, cut back to part-time or converted to “temporary.” But what isn’t widely known is that funding from UNRWA and other international aid organizations accounts for 70 percent of the income for local NGOs in Gaza—which in turn generates a third of the jobs.
El-Amal—which means "hope" in Arabic—was established in 1992 as a school for the deaf in Rafah, in the far south of the Gaza Strip. Over the years, it has expanded to offer a variety of other programs, including a kindergarten, vocational training and adult literacy-building activities. All are free of charge, since many who are hearing impaired struggle to earn an income.
“The goal is to offer a continuum of services throughout our clients’ lifecycles,” explains CEO Aabed. For example, a 5-year-old child can join the association's kindergarten, then progress into its Darwish Abu Skarekh School, the only school for the deaf in southern Gaza. When students finish the ninth grade, they either may move to Gaza City's secondary school for the deaf, which is privately run and thus too expensive for many people, or join El-Amal's vocational training center.
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Do you see what I see? Thousands of LittleSuns got through to Gaza!
What a relief! This past week in Gaza, 8,600 children, families, and the elderly began receiving Little Sun solar lights, delivered by Rebuilding Alliance's four NGO partners. They are truly Nur al-Amal — Lights of Hope. None of this would have been possible without the help of thousand of wonderful donors — to all who gave, thank you!
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You Can Still Give
Dear Friend,
Good news from hard work: Engineer Majd Mashharawi left Gaza last night in time to present at TEDWomen in California, a three-day conference about the power of women and girls to be creators and change-makers. She was held by Israeli authorities at Erez for 10 hours without food or water for interrogation. Even though she was in the US and Japan just last month, there was no guarantee she would be allowed out. I asked. I used every connection I know, and called Israel's COGAT too — and it worked! And right now I'm in tears because Majd's mom just received her permit to cross with her dad tomorrow to reach Amman for US visa interviews so they can attend her TED talk!
Meanwhile, our 8600 Little Sun solar lights are in Gaza, but they are being held by the Gaza Government. My NGO partners are filing the clearance forms and going to each of the 20+ signatories required. We saw the shipment, even touched it. The Little Suns are all there.
Look, my team and I don't give up. We persevere. We find a way. I need your help to keep on doing this work.
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Robert Kennedy Would Have Gone To Gaza
Dear Friend,
Our Leadership Learning Mission to Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza is now scheduled for Dec. 27-31st and this is now entirely focused on the incoming Congress-members.
Because I helped Eng. Majd Mashharawi get through the blockade for her TED Talk, I am thrilled to be here at the TEDWomen Conference. Last night, Marian Wright Edelman spoke about bringing Robert Kennedy to Mississippi to visit HeadStart and see the empty cupboards. She told him, "You will see hungry" — well, that's what the Congress-Elect will see in Gaza.
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Rebuilding Alliance is a #ListenToKids Co-Host
In light of Universal Children’s Day, tomorrow from 9-10 AM Rebuilding Alliance is honored to announce that we will be co-hosting Globalgiving’s twitter chat #ListenToKids: Lessons from Children Around the World.
We'll bring forward our work bringing Palestinian children to speak to Congress to present their vision of peace, in person in Washington DC. These young people have also been hosts for visits by Congressional Leadership Missions to Jerusalem and the West Bank, and by conference call with Gaza.
Join the conversation with the hashtag #ListenToKids to learn how kids around the world are stepping up to create positive change in their communities.
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Invite your Representative and Senators to experience Palestine in December!
Dear Friend,
Wow! Thirty-nine newcomer Congresswomen and men, and 5 newcomer Senators are going to Capitol Hill in January!
Click Here Now
to invite your Representative and Senators to experience Palestine in December!
(there's even a special template for inviting Congressional newcomers)
Then,
Call their office,
Ask for their Scheduler, and
Say, as a Constituent, that you've just emailed the invitation to join Rebuilding Alliance's Congressional Leadership Learning Mission to Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza — and you need an answer before Nov. 13th when Ethics Committee applications are due.
Of the following, please call incumbents and those who were reelected:
To contact the newcomers, please check your voting materials to send them the invitation by email and to follow-up with a phone call. Again, call and ask for their scheduler, and tell them that, as a Constituent, that you are inviting them to on an expense-paid Congressional Leadership Learning Mission to the Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza on December 14-21st. The trip is sponsored by Rebuilding Alliance, a U.S. 501(c)3 nonprofit, in full accordance with House and Senate Ethics Committee rules.
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Take Action: Khan al Ahmar Update
The next weeks are critical. While Khan al Ahmar has this moment of pause, Israeli Army bulldozers continue to demolish homes and barns in other areas of the West Bank. To assure that Khan al Ahmar's master plan will be recognized, and to present demolitions and assure equal rights for Palestinians,
Click here to email your Senators and Representative to invite them to join Rebuilding Alliance's Leadership Learning Mission in December and also ask them to make two calls now to the Israeli Embassy and to the US State Department to press Israel to implement the village's master plan. This case will set the precedent for Palestinian rights.
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Lama Abed's Story: How Will Things Look Without UNRWA Schools?
My name is Lama Abed, I am 14 years old, and a student at an UNRWA school.
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Gaza families, UN staff send message of light to Americans
Palestinians urge U.S. citizens to press Trump to release frozen U.S. aid and open blockade in Gaza
August 14, 2018 (Gaza City, Palestine) — On Tuesday, August 14th at 9pm, UN staff and their families, including doctors, trauma counselors, social workers, bus drivers and engineers, will gather at the Gaza Training College, just behind the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Due to the lack of electricity, they will gather in the darkness of a punitive black-out to send a message of light to the American people. They are set to shine cellphone flashlight messages urging U.S. citizens to press the Trump administration to release frozen U.S. aid and to open the blockade.
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Thank you - and may I share my dream?
A huge thank you to everyone who gave in the Global Giving Bonus Day competition today, many thanks to all for your patience with my and my team's many messages, and many thanks to RA's team for their persistence and creativity! We raised $11,667 from 78 donors for the US Movement to Save Palestinian Villages. Our program placed fourth in a field of 545 projects, and we came in 9th by by total donations. Four people became recurring donors (that really helps!) Altogether, there's just enough to move forward.
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Click Here to donate Wednesday
On Wednesday, GlobalGiving will be matching your donation by 50%, up to $1000. Please CLICK HERE to give, after 9am EDT / 8am CDT / 7am MDT / 6am PDT
Our goal is to send five children and their parents to present their Pinwheels for Peace to Congress for International Peace Day. The children's speeches on International Peace Day have been the most effective advocacy we've seen of the over 300 briefings with Congressional staff, in person & over the phone, that Rebuilding Alliance has held on this issue. We've brought children from Susiya & neighboring Umm al Kheir to speak to Congress three times with their visions of peace, we've brought experts to meet with the State Dept. and the NSC, & we've shared what we learned with sister organizations to keep villages standing.
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Deep breath! Court will hold hearing on Khan al Ahmar’s petition — advocacy needed now
Khan al Ahmar is standing and 174 children will start their school year on July 16th as scheduled. Yesterday, Thursday, July 12th, Israel's High Court of Justice responded to the petition filed by the village, providing notice to hold "a hearing, not later than August 15th."
The injunction against demolition is extended until their case is heard — but the lawyers for the Government of Israel are moving fast, pressing a hearing date soon because all is ready for demolition.
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