Bethlehem / PNN /
Community groups and institutions in Aida refugee camp have voiced strong opposition to recent decisions by UNRWA to reduce services, including reports of plans to relocate the agency’s central clinic in Bethlehem from Aida camp to Dhisheh camp.
Representatives of the camp, including the Popular Services Committee, the Fatah movement, national factions and local institutions, rejected the proposed relocation and broader cuts. They cited shortages of medicines, the suspension and reduction of medical referrals by 50%, a freeze on hiring doctors and nurses, and the failure to replace retiring staff, alongside changes to educational curricula. Participants said these measures point to a gradual erosion of UNRWA’s role, which they firmly reject.
Camp representatives warned UNRWA against converting the clinic into an administrative office, stressing that the facility is designated for medical services and not for administrative use. They said they had formally notified the agency that administrative staff would not be allowed to work at the site if such a move were implemented.
At a meeting held at the Popular Services Committee headquarters, committee head Saeed Al-Azza outlined steps taken in response to the reported plans. These included coordination with Dhisheh camp’s services committee, which also rejected the proposed relocation, warning it would place additional strain on its already burdened clinic. Al-Azza said UNRWA had been informed that the camp would prevent the clinic from being repurposed as an administrative headquarters. Representatives of local institutions called for stronger action to counter what they described as a pattern of service reductions, noting that weak public responses in the past had enabled the agency to proceed with further cuts.
Participants stressed the need for escalating protest measures, saying the decision to bar UNRWA management and program directors from entering Aida camp would be a first step, with the possibility of expanding restrictions to Bethlehem more broadly. Additional measures targeting administrative offices in refugee camps across the Bethlehem area were also discussed.
The meeting concluded with a call for a clear response from the UNRWA Director of Operations in the West Bank, after local officials said regional management had been unable to confirm or deny the reported plans. Attendees warned that failure to provide clarification would prompt a series of escalating actions, including public awareness campaigns and protests against the agency’s policies.
For his part, Ibrahim Abu Srour, head of UNRWA’s office in the camp, said some of the circulated reports regarding the clinic were inaccurate, adding that he would relay the concerns raised during the meeting to the agency’s leadership.
He also highlighted ongoing UNRWA efforts and programs in the camps despite operational challenges, including a proposed “smart street” project in Aida camp supported by German funding, which is expected to be discussed further in upcoming meetings.
Abu Srour added that the agency has recently announced positions for teaching assistants under a “cash for work” program, as part of broader efforts to mitigate the economic hardships facing refugee families in the camps.