The Plight of Palestine Refugees in an Increasingly Unstable Middle East

Speaker:
Pierre Krähenbühl
Commissioner-General, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

Discussant:
Ugo Tramballi, Journalist, Il Sole 24 Ore

Welcome and Chair:
Daniela Huber, Senior fellow, IAI

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The dramatic developments in the Middle East and, particularly, the war in Syria and recent events in the occupied Palestinian territory, have poignantly exposed the vulnerability of Palestine refugees. In the absence of political prospects on the horizon, exasperation among Palestinians across the region is growing. What strategies exist to preserve the dignity, pride and hope of Palestine refugees? What role can UNRWA, the UN agency mandated to protect the welfare and human development of now five million Palestine refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, play in this regard?