UNRWA USA

⚽ NEW MERCH ALERT ⚽

The demand from our new sign-ups was so massive that our inbox was completely flooded with requests—so, due to high demand, the UNRWA USA 'Your Gift Is a Goal for Gaza' jersey is now officially available for purchase as well!

For everyone who signed up over the last week as a monthly Solidarity Sustainer, your thank-you jersey is officially pre-ordered! We are so grateful for your commitment.
Created by a Palestinian artist, this limited-edition jersey is part of UNRWA USA’s “Your Gift Is a Goal for Gaza” campaign, where every purchase supports Palestine refugees in Gaza.

👕This is a limited release, once it’s gone, it’s gone!👕

Whether you purchase a jersey, become a monthly donor, or make a one-time gift, your support helps strengthen UNRWA's ability to stand with Palestine refugees and respond to evolving needs in Gaza, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

Pre-order yours now at www.unrwausa.org/goal-for-gaza
and don't miss your chance to wear your solidarity and stand with Gaza.

5 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 2

UNRWA USA

✍️ A message from UNRWA USA CEO Mara Kronenfeld:

My iPhone is pulling up photos of where I was 4 years ago.

I was in Gaza.

Each year around this time photos show up on my phone that stab. Seeing the relative calm of the Gaza City port, the smiling kids of Jabaliya Camp, the UNRWA schools filled with devoted and loving teachers and articulate hopeful student parliamentarians, the UNRWA IT service center which was training TVET graduates in the cloud economy and placing them in remote jobs.

All of this was happening at the same time Palestinians in Gaza were living under a grueling 18 year blockade of air, sea, and land by the Israeli authorities.

All of this was happening after the May 2021 attacks on Gaza -- when one whole family line was nearly wiped out except for a newly orphaned boy - it seemed, at the time, like the worst kind of violence imaginable.

That was then and this is now.

These photos of 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 are gutting.

But what really twists my brain and takes the breath out of me is how a whole industry of coordinated misinformation and propaganda is nearly succeeding in erasing Palestinian lives and hope in Gaza - of making the profane and genocidal somehow possible to the powers that be.

This propaganda has been aimed at UNRWA for many years. It has been aimed at UNRWA, sad to say, for the very reason that it has kept Palestinians alive and, with it, the hope of a future sovereign Palestinian state. The reason for the active misinformation and disinformation on UNRWA's education system is precisely because this education system has been so effective in graduating top quality students. Gaza had a 98% literacy rate prior to October 2023 -- in large part due to UNRWA's effectiveness.

And unfortunately the attacks didn't stop at the United Nations, but have become a bellwether for the changes in the international commitment to human rights and international law – so painstakingly fostered since World War II.

The pain that this could have been a different way. That Gaza didn't have to be demolished, destroyed, degraded, and devastated. That 80-150k Palestinians in Gaza didn't have to be killed. That 2 million people didn't need to be further squeezed into less than 40% of the land of Gaza and overcome by rats, communicable disease, lack of regular access to food and medical aid…and self-determination.

The pain that these faces are not abstract entities but real people we knew and loved.

And for the faces of the children I met that day in Jabaliya camp -- are they still alive? Were they blown up with tens of thousands of their friends? Are they sick with hunger?

6 days ago | [YT] | 42

UNRWA USA

As the world watches the people’s game, we’re asking the world to not look away from Gaza.

Created by a Palestinian artist, this exclusive jersey is a tribute to the children of Gaza—their right to play soccer, their right to live with dignity, and their fundamental right to safety.

By wearing this limited-edition jersey, you carry a powerful message of solidarity wherever you go, honoring the resilience of Gaza's children and standing in support of their hopes, rights, and future.

When you put on this jersey, you’re wearing solidarity on your sleeve. Every purchase directly supports the UNRWA programs that provide education, psychosocial support, and emergency relief for Palestinian children who have lived through over two years of what experts call a genocide.

As soccer brings people together across borders and languages, it reminds us of our shared humanity. This season, choose to stand for collective responsibility, dignity, and the well-being for the children of Gaza.

PRE-ORDER your limited-edition jersey now at www.unrwausa.org/goal-for-gaza
Your gift is a goal for Gaza!

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 44

UNRWA USA

Meet our new Development Officer!

Zareen Afzal is a Pakistani-American born and raised in Virginia whose passion for humanitarian work has shaped her commitment to supporting refugee communities around the world.

Her journey in global development has included refugee resettlement, humanitarian and education-focused nonprofits across the MENA region, and community-led initiatives supporting families in Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Yemen.
Along the way, she has developed expertise in donor stewardship, CRM management, and data-driven fundraising—all rooted in the belief that every number represents a person, a family, and a real need.
Zareen joined UNRWA USA because she believes in the dignity, resilience, and humanity of Palestine refugees and in the importance of sustaining the support that helps communities endure and rebuild.

At UNRWA USA, she is helping strengthen the systems that connect donors to impact and sustain long-term support for Palestine refugees.
Learn more about Zareen and the rest of our team at

www.unrwausa.org/our-people

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 7

UNRWA USA

June is Pride Month. It’s a time to affirm the inherent right to live in dignity for all people, in all forms of their gender expressions.

When we stand with Palestine refugees, we stand with all Palestine refugees—including LGBTQ+ individuals whose stories and struggles are too often not heard or erased. Gender affects everyone. Supporting Palestinian communities means supporting everyone, including those with intersecting vulnerabilities and marginalized identities.

Pride Month is about the right to live with dignity, safety, and belonging in your own community, regardless of who you are or who you love.

This Pride Month, we reaffirm that solidarity must be inclusive of all identities and lived experiences.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1

UNRWA USA

🎉Our UNRWA USA team is growing!

We’re on the lookout for a talented individual to join our team as Grants and Programs Officer!

This role is essential to our mission of uplifting the humanity of Palestine refugees to secure American support for resources essential to every human being, for the promise of a better life.

If you are passionate about the UNRWA USA mission and the humanitarian sector, this could be the opportunity for you. We're seeking a strategic thinker with a proven track record of strong execution skills. The ideal candidate thrives in complex environments, builds trust quickly, confidently advances support for vital humanitarian work, and brings rigor and meticulous follow-through to every stage of the grant lifecycle.

Until there is a just solution to their plight, we are committed to creating a world where Palestine refugees thrive. Join our team in making this vision a reality.

🔗 Apply now: www.unrwausa.org/grants-and-programs-officer

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 27

UNRWA USA

Gaza currently suffers from the world’s highest per capita rate of children amputations. Meral is one of these children and this is her story.

Gaza’s healthcare system has been systematically devastated, making it near-impossible for healthcare workers to keep people alive.

Despite it all, UNRWA staff are still in Gaza. They show up every single day for children like Meral. Each day, they are faced with new challenges, yet they meet it with ingenuity and expertise to make it work against all odds.

UNRWA is still in Gaza. Hope and life persists in Gaza.
Bear witness, don’t forget Gaza.

www.unrwausa.org/unrwa-is-still-in-gaza

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 254

UNRWA USA

Global Parents Day looks devastatingly different for thousands of Palestine refugee families.

For Palestine refugees, instead of celebration, it’s a day spent mourning children killed by war and military escalations in Gaza and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem). It’s also a day for recognizing the grandparents who have stepped in to raise their grandchildren after losing their own adult children.

The human cost over the last 2.5 years:
Over 855 adults have been killed in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem).
240 Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem).
Over 21,000 children have been killed in Gaza.
Over 44,000 adults have been killed in Gaza.

Today, we acknowledge the unimaginable strength and grief of these parents. They deserve the world’s attention and support.

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 72

UNRWA USA

The Nakba did not only force Palestinians from their homes; it disrupted generations of childhoods, education, and opportunity.

In Part 2 of our storytelling series, Hani Almadhoun, VP of Philanthropy at UNRWA USA, reflects on how education became a lifeline for his family after displacement.
Through UNRWA schools and jobs, his grandfather and father were able to rebuild their lives and help create opportunities for future generations. From teachers and nurses to engineers and professors, generations of Palestine refugees have relied on education to persevere through exile and uncertainty.

For nearly 78 years, UNRWA schools have provided Palestine refugee children with learning, stability, and hope, even amid ongoing displacement. Despite catastrophic damage to infrastructure, UNRWA is still in Gaza, continuing to provide displaced children with routine and education in temporary learning spaces, made up of multiple tents.

Learn more at www.unrwausa.org/unrwa-is-still-in-gaza
(Part 2 of a 3-part storytelling series from Hani’s family)

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 12

UNRWA USA

Today, we’re incredibly grateful to share an inspiring update.

Because of the generosity of UNRWA USA supporters like you, we’ve officially reached our $50,000 matching goal — bringing the total impact of this campaign to $100,000 for orphaned and separated children in Gaza.

During this week’s Instagram Live, a donor gave an additional $6,000 — enough to help support 10 children for an entire year.

But the need remains urgent. Nearly 25,000 orphaned children in Gaza require ongoing care, and support. Just $600 can help support one child for a full year.

Now, we’re calling on our community to continue giving so that every orphaned child receives the care and support they deserve.

Donate today and help ensure no child is left behind.
www.unrwausa.org/orphans

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 41