tl;dr

UNRWA was established in 1949, UNKRA in 1950.
UNKRA operated with a specific, time-bound mandate, focused on development.
UNRWA operated with an indefinite mandate, focused on dependency.
UNKRA handled about 1 Million Korean refugees, such that there are now 0.
UNRWA handled about 700,000 Arab refugees, such that there are now 6 Mllion.
UNKRA built schools and worked on a self-sustaining economy.
UNRWA teachers promoted terrorism and engaged in terrorist acts.
UNRWA still has no plan for a self-sustaining economy.
UNRWA still posts blood libel throughout social media.
Today, UNKRA no longer exists, but UNRWA continues to fail.
Today, UNRWA receives more aid per refugee than UNHCR.

My “duh” solution: Surrounding states annex disputed territories. UNRWA is defunded. Students are taught non-violent ideology and self-dependence. UNRWA workers are tried by the UN over repeated libel.

Please read Hillel C. Neuer (UN Watch) in The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/the-united-nations-terrorism-teachers

Please read Einat Wilf “Without UNRWA there would be no Hamas…”: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/einat-wilf-without-unrwa-there-would-be-no-hamas-it-must-be-dismantled

Please read Sean Durns (CAMERA) piece in Washington Times if you need more context: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jan/31/un-relief-and-works-agency-perpetuates-israeli-pal/

For examples of UNRWA incompetence and media bias:https://honestreporting.com/tag/unrwa/

Over the last few decades, UNRWA—arguably UN’s biggest failure—has made international headlines for being a mouthpiece for terrorists, encouraging violence and blood libel. Not only has it has failed in its mandate by fostering aid dependency among Arab refugees, it employed at least a dozen people (ex: Faisal Ali Mussalem al-Naami) who partook in Putin’s Oct 7 Pogrom, included material on “murdering Jews” in their school curricula, refused to help hostages, and hid a H@mas data center directly under their Gaza HQ.

One example of UNRWA’s blatant incompetency comes from 2021, when Gaza militants labeled then director, Matthias Schmale, and his deputy, David de Bold, persona non grata, citing UNRWA as, “a major reason for the suffering of thousands of Palestinian refugees and UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip.” I don’t like Schmale. It was bittersweet to see him flee Gaza, tail between legs, after a decade of allegedly trying to help Arab refugees. Schmale’s crime? He was open to discourse with Israelis (ie, one interview).

Dr. Einat Wilf tweeted on April 5, 2024, “Recently, when I asked a recent senior European official to just simply listen to what Palestinians say about UNRWA - that to them it’s not an aid organization, but a political one, the “guarantor of the Right of Return” - she responded with the shockingly neo-colonial “They don’t get to decide” (to which I could not but quietly respond, “but they very much do…”).”

The effectiveness of international relief agencies is measured by their ability to focus on long-term sustainable development. Both UNKRA and UNRWA were established to manage the aftermath of conflicts, yet their trajectories have been markedly different. UNKRA, with its focused and supported approach, achieved success in resettling and reconstructing post-war South Korea. By its conclusion in 1958, UNKRA had successfully assisted approximately one million Korean civilians, largely completing its resettlement work within two years.

Conversely, UNRWA was established in 1949 to support 700,000 Arab refugees displaced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Despite substantial international support, this agency has perpetuated a state of dependency among the refugees it serves, without a clear mandate for resettlement or self-sufficiency. This contrasts sharply with the rapid integration of 800,000+ Jewish refugees within Israel, largely facilitated by Zionist organizations and the Israeli government.

UNKRA's direct involvement in economic and infrastructure projects in South Korea led to significant improvements in living standards and laid the groundwork for the country’s rapid economic development. In contrast, UNRWA focuses on providing perpetual aid rather than fostering economic independence. There is no semblance of independance in Gaza, which will perepetually require welfare under UNRWA guidance.

Given the similarities in the initial conditions and the support received from international donors, especially the United States, the divergent outcomes of UNKRA and UNRWA are striking. Korea required less aid to facilitate significant achievements in infrastructure, healthcare, and education. Korea even had bigger challenges with resettlements, relocating people over a much larger distance (10s of 1000s of kms) compared to the relatively close resettlement of Arabs (Typically <100 kms).

Despite all this, there still seems to be no plan for UNRWA to transition from relief services to permanent resettlement solutions. UNRWA intentionally exacerbates tensions for political purposes. International pressures diveate between pointing out the corruption and violence among UNRWA employees to coddling them for this behavior. For the sake of Arab refugees, we all should speak out about UNRWA being a failure.

Comment what you think.