unrwa donor update

27 January to 2 February 2014 : operating environment

Security Update

UNRWA and the Local Staff Union reach a General Negotiation Framework in Gaza

Following constructive discussions between UNRWA management and the Local Staff Union in Gaza, and in consultation with the Commissioner-General, a General Negotiation Framework was adopted. As a result, as of 26 January, industrial action in Gaza was prevented. Detailed negotiations are set to take place on a number of issues that are of particular concern to staff, to advance staff welfare and ensure the delivery of the best possible service to Palestine refugees.
In addition to suspension of industrial action, the negotiation framework includes a review of the salary survey’s methodology, an agreement that there should be one unified salary scale in Palestine and further negotiations on the Currency Adjustment Factor as part of a staff member’s base salary.
Other aspects of the Framework include a commitment on the part of the Agency to return as many as possible of the site engineers to their services. The engineers had recently been let go due to the suspension of construction projects. It has also been agreed that any actions or additional issues agreed for the West Bank Field Office, where the strike remains ongoing, as the result of their separate negotiations will automatically apply to Gaza Field.
The Commissioner- General also confirmed that there is no intention or plan to relocate or close any offices in Gaza. 

Security Update

•    IDF opened fire toward Palestinians on three separate occasions, no injuries or damage reported. IDF opened fire toward Palestinians at the border. Five injuries were reported.
•    Four IDF tanks and two bulldozers conducted clearing operations on one occasion. On a separate occasion, two IDF tanks and two bulldozers conducted clearing operations.
•    IDF patrol boats opened fire seven times toward Palestinian fishing boats, forcing them to the shore. No injury or damage reported.
•    IAF fired two missiles towards the former PA Intelligence building. One injury reported. Another missile was fired toward an abandoned PA building, resulting in minor damage to an UNRWA school. Two injuries were reported (and damage to the school.) At a separate occasion, two missiles were fired at a Hamas site. Four injuries reported.
•    Militants fired six rockets: three towards Israel and three towards the sea. No injury or damage reported. Militants also fired a mortal shell toward Israel. No injury or damage reported.
•    An IED (improvised explosive device) detonated when an IDF vehicle passed by on the Israeli side. The vehicle was damaged but no injuries were reported.
•    A Palestinian was injured and hospitalized, having received a bullet in his chest. The police are investigating the incident.
•    The Islamic Jihad held a demonstration in front of the UNDP office in protest against the inclusion of one of its leaders on the United States’ terrorist list (approximately 400 people attended).
•    The Families of Palestinian prisoners staged a sit-in in front of the ICRC in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails (approximately 500 people attended) On three separate days the Refugee Popular Committee held sit-ins in front of UNRWA offices to protest against alleged cuts in humanitarian aid distribution (approximately 100 people attended while on the second occasion 500 people attended, forcing employees to leave. On the third instance 400 people attended).
•    Families of the injured in the Cast Lead Operation held three sit-ins protesting against salary cuts and asking for the resignation of the PA (approximately 80 people attended on the first day and 20 on the second and third day).
•    On four separate days, demonstrations were held in front of the PLO offices to protest against salary cuts by the Palestinian Authority. The demonstrations were attended by a group of approximately 25 people and by 70 PA security personnel employed in 2005. The Popular Committee for Lifting the Siege held a demonstration in front of the Rafah gate in protest against closure of the terminal (approximately 100 children participated).

operations 
UNRWA’s Health Programme looks back to a successful 2013

Despite the ongoing deterioration of socioeconomic conditions in the Gaza Strip, UNRWA Gaza’s Health Programme has recorded a number of notable developments in 2013, which include the start of a transition to e-Health, expansion of the Family Health Care system as well as large scale vaccination campaigns.
Last year saw the ongoing implementation of e-Health to 11 health centers, which replaces manual administrative processes. e-Health is a computerized patient data system which aims to improve information management processes for both patients and health staff. As a result of e-Health, patient records are more accurate and up to date, the quality of health care improves, and the patient witnesses better results.
The transfer to a digital system enables UNRWA staff to prioritize patients, monitor visits and drug prescription. Next to improving accuracy, it improves the management of increasingly scarce resources: in 2013 alone, the system detected over 8,600 duplicate records. Therefore, the new system not only ensures accurate data in all health care activities across all fields, it also generates savings and more effective management of resources. Overall, the average number of patient visits per doctor per day was reduced to 87 (as opposed to 112 in 2012).
Last year also witnessed the expansion of Family Health Care to 16 out of the 21 health centers. Within the family health team approach, teams of health staff coordinate to provide enhanced and comprehensive care to families. UNRWA will continue to introduce both systems across its 21 health centers following its positive impact on contact time with patients, an increase in the quality of relationships between medical staff and patients and a greater continuity in care.
As part of the ongoing Special Children Special Needs Programme, which consists of conducting medical examinations of students at the start of the school year, almost 6,500 students were provided with glasses and 108 students were provided with hearing aids. Almost 100 students were identified as in need of surgery and specialist care.
The Health Programme also completed immunization campaigns for Poliomyelitis, thereby vaccinating 123,000 children between the ages of 0 to 5 years across all Gaza governorates. Immunization was also provided for mumps in the Maen area, where 5000 children between the ages of 6-15 were provided with vaccinations.
In 2014, UNRWA’s Health Programme will continue to increase its attention to preventative care for Non-Communicable Diseases management, dental and maternal and child health and will continue to provide essential medication and laboratory testing for its refugee population. The Programme remains committed to cooperate with other Programmes, for example with Community Mental Health, Gender, Relief and Legal in the field of raising awareness for those affected by gender based violence.

UNRWA and the JICA: evaluating the use of solar energy in Gaza

This week, the Government of Japan through JICA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, will conduct an assessment to ascertain how UNRWA can exploit renewable energy in Gaza through a variety of interventions such as the installation of solar panels on its facilities. The assessment includes a visit to the solar project implemented by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Gaza Power Station.
It is expected that the assessment will provide encouraging findings for UNRWA to start equipping its installations with photovoltaic solar energy units over the next years. These photovoltaic solar energy units will be able to produce the 74KW required per day to supply a school or health center with electricity. UNRWA will also look to use its various tools to support the expansion of the solar industry in Gaza by training technicians in its technical and vocational training centers, its outsourcing installation and maintenance to the private sector, in order to encourage economic growth.
This step is aligned with the Agency’s plans to reduce overall energy needs of its installations and in line with the Gaza 2020: operational response. UNRWA is aware of the tremendous infrastructural challenges in Gaza with regards to electricity and the Agency is thus seeking ways to reduce pressure on the power grid. Electricity supply to the Gaza Strip has consistently remained below what is required. The Gaza Electricity Distribution Company (GEDCo) expects electricity demand to increase to 550 MW by 2020, which is more than twice of what was provided before the Egyptian crisis (a total of 242 MW: 120 MW from Israel, 100 MW from the Gaza Power Plant, 22 MW from Egypt).

UNRWA Human Rights Programme 2013-2016: Consolidating Positive Impact

Thanks to the generous funding of the government of Norway, UNRWA will continue to implement its Human Rights curriculum in Gaza. Funding for the Programme (for school years 2013-2016) is more than USD 11 million and will allow UNRWA to further consolidate and build upon the achievements made.
The Human Rights Programme will provide human rights classes in the schools and strengthen the culture of non-violence within schools, thereby maintaining UNRWA’s community outreach activities.
The Programme dedicates one period per week to the teaching of human rights to students of all grades in UNRWA classrooms throughout the Gaza Strip. It carefully selects and deploys only dedicated and specially trained teachers of human rights. In cooperation and consultation with the local community and academic circles, the textbooks for elementary schools have been used by students for a couple of years, while textbooks for grades 7-9 are available for the first time this semester.
The Programme was launched in the 2008/09 school year in order to increase awareness and knowledge of human rights among students and their families. The UNRWA Human Rights curriculum has been developed by UNRWA in Gaza in cooperation with national and international human rights organizations and is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Source: unrwa.org