Dozens of young Palestinians living in the Qalandia refugee camps in occupied West Bank face uncertainty over the possible closure of the UN agency UNRWA, which has been vital for their education and future employment. The situation becomes especially critical for those who have found in UNRWA's vocational school an opportunity to learn technical skills that allow them to have a decent job and escape the violence and poverty that plague the region.
Among those affected by a potential UNRWA closure are teachers, doctors, nurses, security personnel, and administrative staff, many of whom are Palestinian refugees fearing for their future and that of their families. Educator Taleed Anati highlights the importance of this UN agency in the education of hundreds of thousands of students and in access to health for the Palestinian population.
The approval of laws by the Israeli Parliament to close UNRWA offices in East Jerusalem and sever relations with Israeli authorities threatens to deprive thousands of Palestinian refugees of vital services. Israel's accusation that some employees of UNRWA in Gaza have ties to Hamas has created a crisis that endangers the lives of thousands of people in the West Bank and Gaza.
Amid the spiral of violence affecting the region, UNRWA's vocational school in Qalandia stands as a hope for young people like Malik Hamad, who sees in vocational training the opportunity for a stable future and the possibility of moving away from the violence and poverty surrounding them. Uncertainty and fear engulf UNRWA workers and students, who see not only their jobs at risk but also the only escape route from an environment marked by conflict. The hope for support from the international community becomes the only light in a dark and threatening landscape for thousands of Palestinian refugees in the region.
