Twelfth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Our research examines two international Palestinian aid operations: the UN Palestinian refugee assistance, UNRWA, and the World Bank (WB) “Palestinian NGO project”. UNRWA was launched in 1949, and the WB operation was carried out between April, 1997 and September, 2016. UNRWA’s budget was $2,4 billion (2016), while the WB budget was about $100 million. The two operations have similar humanitarian goals, and both were created as temporary operations. However the operations differ in almost all implementation aspects. Our research compares the two international aid operations focusing on (a) The relationships between the aid agency and its clients (b) The structure and the organization of the aid operation, (c) The mechanism of the aid distribution, (d) Cost effectiveness, (d) Accountability and feedback mechanism, and (e) Exit strategy. In comparison, UNRWA possesses about 1000 schools and has been employing a workforce of 30,000 permanent employees, The WB has no employees and it distributes aid through local NGOS. The WB focuses on empowerment and self-sufficiency. In terms of exit strategy, UNRWA has no exit plans. Moreover, UNRWA has developed classical dependence relationships ( “Patron-Client), becoming politically involved in the Palestinian agenda . Our research concludes that (a) an international humanitarian aid operations must have an exit strategy, (b) UN aid operation should be neutral, and (c) the UN should establish “rules of engagement” concerning donor-client relationships.