Up to 565 refugee families across the Gaza Strip will receive cash assistance, worth 2,079 million dollars from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

They will receive assistance via cheque or access the payments through local banks.

Emergency shelter – including support for home repairs, reconstruction and interim shelter solutions – is a top priority for UNRWA.

The Agency said in a press release Tuesday that it remains committed to supporting affected families yet requires new funding to continue the shelter cash assistance program.

UNRWA was established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees.

Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight.

UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, and micro finance.