unrwausa

Sometimes the places that hold our deepest history hold our deepest ache. In the final part of this storytelling series, UNRWA USA VP of Philanthropy shares how the Nakba is experienced as a living memory rather than just history. Bear witness to how hope stays alive across generations of loss.

The Nakba did not only force Palestinians from their homes; it disrupted generations of childhoods, education, and opportunity. In Part 2 of our storytelling series, Hani Almadhoun, VP of Philanthropy at UNRWA USA, reflects on how education became a lifeline for his family after displacement.

“The sharpest kids in Gaza were products of UNRWA schools,” says VP of philanthropy Hani Almadhoun. “Despite everything, Palestine refugees are among the most educated people in the region.”

UNRWA is STILL in Gaza. Year after year, UNRWA mental health teams show up for displaced children across Gaza during Eid al-Adha. Working tirelessly every single day, they give children a chance to step away from trauma and do everything to preserve the fragile magic of childhood wherever possible.

Right now in Gaza, nearly 25,000 children have been orphaned due to constant attacks. No parents, lacking nutritional food, shelter, safety, and in desperate need of a comforting hand.

Hani Almadhoun, VP of Philanthropy at UNRWA USA, shares his family’s story of displacement across generations, from Al Majdal to Bait Lahia in northern Gaza, where his parents were forced to flee their home with the hope of return. Full video out Friday, May 22.

On this Nakba commemoration day, UNRWA USA reaffirms its commitment to the inalienable dignity of Palestine refugees, while mobilizing support for the humanitarian services they need to survive. The Nakba is not only the story of what was lost. It is also the story of what has refused to disappear.

When Adam first arrived from Gaza to Texas for medical treatment through Heal Palestine, he wasn’t able to run the Dallas Gaza 5K, but this year, he will be running. Hear Adam’s full circle story and join him at the Dallas Gaza 5K, Saturday May 16th at Bachman Lake Park.

🎶 We’re honored to welcome Palestinian-American artist Waheeb Nasan to this year’s Dallas Gaza 5K. Originally from Chicago, Waheeb blends hip hop with alternative and Arabic influences to make music that feels personal, powerful, and rooted in storytelling.

Mother's Day is near in the US. If there’s one thing you do other than honor a mama you’re grateful for—it’s listening to this mother’s story from Gaza. Sundus was 8 months pregnant when she was injured in an Israeli airstrike & rushed to Al Shifa Hospital. Hear her story at youtube.com/unrwausa

Meet our new Director of Strategic Communications! Zeina Hijazi is a Palestinian polyglot currently trading the volcanoes of Guatemala for the avenues of Washington, D.C. Please join us in welcoming our new Director of Strategic Communications, Zeina Hijazi & listen in to learn more about her! 🎉🎉🎉

Michelin-starred Palestinian restaurant, Ayat is joining the UNRWA USA Dallas Gaza 5K as our Diamond Sponsor this year! Lace up with us on Saturday, May 16, as we come together in community and move for mental health for children in Gaza. Register or donate today at gaza5k.org/dallas!

As Arab American Heritage Month ends, this conversation doesn’t end here. Our Senior Advocacy Manager Lein reminds us—our tax dollars should reflect our values. Arab American Heritage month is about more than just identity, it’s about how we embody our identities and what we choose to stand for.

Dallas, we’re coming back! UNRWA USA is bringing back our Gaza 5K on Saturday May 16th to the Lone Star State where everything is bigger. In 2024, y’all showed up big for Gaza and we know this community will do it again this May.

Palestinians are not numbers. Each life taken is a universe gone.

From supporter to staff—Kristina's story. A host committee member told Kristina about our Dallas Gaza 5K in 2024 so her family made a day of it. Kristina learned more about UNRWA USA & how we’ve been organizing Gaza 5Ks for 10+ years to support UNRWA’s mental health services for children in Gaza.

50,000 times UNRWA staff in Lebanon showed up for displaced communities. In Tyre, mobile family health teams are reaching patients to meet urgent needs with essential supplies. In Beirut, emergency clinics are expanding services to fill gaps in care. Despite it all, UNRWA staff keep showing up.

Lebanon is burning - lives are being shattered & families are being torn apart amid constant attacks. 1 million+ people are displaced, with no real safe place to go. 136,000+ people are living in temporary shelters. UNRWA staff are working to serve communities through this ongoing emergency.

Did you know you can earn exclusive perks when you fundraise for the UNRWA USA Gaza 5K? The perks are great but there’s no greater reward than knowing you’re helping provide mental healthcare for Palestine refugee children in Gaza. Learn all about our fundraising perks & register at gaza5k.org

Despite deliberate attacks on UNRWA’s healthcare facilities, UNRWA teams continue to show up as one of the largest health actors operating in the Gaza Strip, delivering emergency medical care & mental health support—under siege. Healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

Healthcare is under attack! Since October 2023, 390+ UNRWA staff members—doctors, teachers, counselors, & aid workers—have been killed by the Israeli military. They were humanitarians serving communities with care, compassion, & courage. This is the highest death toll of UN personnel in history.

Even in the hardest moments, children in Gaza are finding ways to smile. UNRWA mental healthcare staff member Jaber shared this beautiful moment from Gaza this week. In a makeshift space with a few instruments, children gather after living through 2+ years of what experts know to be a genocide.

UNRWA staff in Gaza shared these photos with our team yesterday. Behind every image is a family doing their best to make it through another day, holding onto each other after enduring over two years of what experts know to be a genocide. Let this stay with you. Don’t forget Gaza.

Texas, yalla y’all—we’re heading back! 🏃🏽‍♀️‍➡️🏃🏽‍♂️‍➡️ Our signature Gaza 5K walk/run brings mental health support & trauma relief to refugee children in Gaza through UNRWA counselors on the ground. Join us in Dallas & help bring critical care to refugee children in Gaza 💙 gaza5k.org

Eid Mubarak 🌙 Washington, D.C. friends, we look forward to seeing you soon! Register via the link in bio to come together in community with UNRWA USA, support Palestine refugees, and enjoy a stand-up performance by 🎤 @mahmoudjabs

Your voice matters. We hope you’ll bring it to Capitol Hill. Join us for UNRWA USA’s 2026 Advocacy Days on April 20-21 in Washington, DC. The decisions made in Capitol Hill directly impact the lives of Palestine refugees. Make your voice heard and join us unrwausa.org/advocacydays

UNRWA staff in Gaza like Dyana keep this work going. They show up every day for their people against all odds, through personal losses, & enduring ongoing displacement themselves. You have the power to directly support them & the families they serve. 🩵 unrwausa.org/zakat

While many break their fast in safety this Ramadan, thousands in Gaza are still struggling for the most basic necessities. 🌙 In these final days of Ramadan, our CEO Mara Kronenfeld shares a message of solidarity & gratitude for those who continue to stand with Palestine refugees.

Dublin’s Famine Memorial honors Ireland’s Great Hunger, a time when food was available, yet millions starved because access was denied for who they were. 🍀On St. Patrick’s Day, it’s a reminder: famine is never just about scarcity. It’s about power. It’s man-made. And it’s happening again in Gaza.

Not a filter. Not a movie. Not AI. This is Gaza…unfiltered. A sandstorm swept across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, making severe conditions even worse for refugee families. Despite this, UNRWA works every day to support communities with the essential services they deserve.

How far would you run for refugees? For Fouad Dakwar & Ayah Ibrahim, the answer is simple: 13.1 miles. This Sunday, March 15, these champions for change will take to the streets of the Big Apple, running the NYC Half Marathon to raise funds for Palestine refugees through UNRWA USA.

Don’t forget Gaza in these last ten days of Ramadan. Turn your solidarity into action and stand with Palestine refugees. 🔗 unrwausa.org/ramadan

Your Zakat can reach families in Gaza directly. Even now. Even when everything feels impossible. You have the power to help make a change. Do it today with UNRWA USA. 🔗 unrwausa.org/ramadan

UNRWA continues to support communities across Lebanon as escalating violence forces thousands to flee home. As Lebanon hosts hundreds of thousands of Palestine refugees, UNRWA is providing emergency shelter to all displaced communities affected by the crisis—Palestinians, Lebanese, & Syrians alike.

Ramadan continues in Gaza—in grief, through pain, with hope—and we remain committed to supporting the Palestinian families who keep their traditions alive against all odds.

The streets in Gaza look different now. Many Palestine refugees have said goodbye to their neighborhoods, their homes, and to people they love. So much has changed in Gaza. But the instinct to gather, to care for one another, to find ways to live through it all has not.

Home is more than a place—it’s where roots, memory, and community live. In 'All That’s Left of You’, directed by UNRWA USA Board Member Cherien Dabis, the story of one Palestinian family reminds us of this. 🎥Find a screening near you: allthatsleftofyou.com 🩵Support Palestine refugees: unrwausa.org