October 19, 2026
A report published by the “Al Jazeera Net” platform highlighted the deteriorating living conditions of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, amid high rates of poverty and food insecurity, coinciding with the decline in services provided by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as a result of its severe financial crisis.
As part of the response to these crises, UNRWA began distributing food aid after receiving two thousand tons of flour as a donation from Turkey, in coordination with the Lebanese Higher Relief Commission and with the support of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
The agency’s spokesman in Lebanon, Fadi Al-Tayyar, explained that eligible Palestinian families receive a one-time share of 5 kilograms of flour, while the bread distribution covers residents inside Palestinian camps, regardless of their nationality, in addition to Palestinian refugees residing outside them. He pointed out that the first phase of the program extends for an entire month, during which bread is distributed twice a week to alleviate the food insecurity that families face.
On the other hand, a number of refugees expressed that this aid was insufficient to meet the basic needs of their families, especially large ones, demanding the return of the previous cash assistance of $50, given that it gave families greater flexibility in determining their spending priorities.
For his part, Ali Al-Mahoul, a member of the Popular Committee and official of the Palestine Liberation Front in the Shatila camp in Beirut, stressed that the current food rations do not take into account the disparity in the numbers of family members, pointing out that the living suffering extends to include crises related to water and sewage networks, as well as the decline in the level of health and educational services.
The report’s official data indicates that the number of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is estimated at about 230,000, including 23,000 refugees displaced from Syria, and about half of this total resides within 12 Palestinian camps. According to UNRWA estimates, poverty rates among refugees in Lebanon range between 70 and 80%, while about 30% of them suffer from food insecurity.
In contrast, UNRWA faces a funding deficit ranging between 70 and 80 million dollars extending until the end of 2026, which forced it to reduce the working hours associated with its services by 20% since last February, and reduce working days in schools and health centers from five days to four days per week. Despite this, Al-Tayyar stressed the continuation of hygiene services, waste collection, and medical referrals for hospitalization with the same efficiency and level.
At the educational sector level, the agency’s 58 schools receive more than 35,000 students during the 2026-2027 academic year. This sector witnessed the opening of a new school in the Bekaa region, the addition of 15 classrooms in the Beddawi camp, in addition to the rehabilitation of three schools, and work to rent an additional building in the capital, Beirut.
UNRWA confirms that this food aid is offered alongside other forms of cash and food support based on available resources, at a time when the financial deficit imposes continuing pressure on the sustainability of its programs, amid urgent calls from refugees to increase the volume of aid and take into account the actual size of families and their urgent living needs.
