In a split second yesterday, large swathes of Jenin camp were completely destroyed in a series of controlled detonations by the Israeli Security Forces.
Residents of the camp have endured the impossible, facing nearly two months of unceasing and escalating violence. In the last months, Jenin camp has been rendered a ghost town.
The operations conducted both by Israeli and Palestinian security forces have led to the forced displacement of thousands of camp residents, many of whom will now have nowhere to return to. The basics of life are gone.
On a day that was supposed to mark the beginning of the new school semester for thousands of children, 13 schools in the northern West Bank remained closed due to ISF operations in the area.
UNRWA's services inside Jenin camp have been interrupted for months and stopped completely in early December.
Today's shocking scenes in the West Bank undermine the fragile ceasefire reached in Gaza, and risk a new escalation.
UNRWA received no prior warning of these detonations, as contact between staff and Israeli authorities is no longer permitted - putting civilian lives at risk.
UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency's area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.
UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.
UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
