A new study found that Palestinian refugees receive a budget four times larger than a Syrian, Iraqi or African refugee. The study, which was conducted by the Abba Eban Institute of International Diplomacy at the IDC Herzliya, reinforced Israel’s traditional argument against the split between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or UNHCR, which provides assistance to all refugees world-wide, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency or UNRWA, which provides assistance only for Palestinian refugees. The UN is currently addressing the largest refugee crisis in history, with about 68 million people worldwide seeking refuge.
At the end of last week, UNRWA released its annual financial report, which stated that in 2016 the organization spent an average of 246 dollars for each of the 5.3 million Palestinians it defines as refugees, while UNHCR spent only a quarter of that, 58 dollars per refugee. In addition, the data show that UNRWA employs some 30,000 people, while the World Refugee Agency, which handles tens of millions worldwide, employs only 10,000 people.