Gaza ●● On May 23, the Ministry of Health reported the first death in Gaza due to COVID-19, with no more deaths reported since. ●● All UNRWA PHC facilities are prioritizing critical services. Eight temporary quarantine centers were opened in Gaza to host residents returning from outside. ●● The siege on the Strip is critically affecting provision of medical supplies and staff to refugees, being the reason for the low number of available COVID-19 test kits as well as limited procurement pipelines of medical supplies. According to WHO, there are only 87 ventilators available in Gaza for a population of roughly two million. ●● The economic impact of the virus has been enormous due to disruption of business and continued closure of the already limited available checkpoints out of Gaza. Its economy is estimated to incur a $200 million due to the Israeli siege and the coronavirus combined. ●● Despite the COVID-19 crisis, Israel has continued incursions into the Gaza Strip, including into refugee camps. ●● Shootings on Palestinian fishing boats, many of Palestinian refugees, continue to injure fishermen and harm a sector that supplies jobs and food in Gaza. Syria ●● As of May 26, there are 106 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Syria, none of which involving Palestinian refugees. ●● Some refugee camps have been under complete lockdown for extended periods, such as the Qaber Essit refugee camp. Camp lockdowns have temporarily negatively affected the provision of health services. 8 ●● The recent decline in the exchange rate of the Syrian pound and a “striking” rise in house rents28 have been particularly difficult for Palestinian refugees in the context of the Syrian civil war, especially considering the destruction of Palestinian refugee camps that previously served as a hub for employment and business opportunities. ●● Reports have indicated that some Palestinian refugees have not received aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, Palestinian families displaced from Yarmouk Camp to Jdeidat Artouz, have reportedly not received any medical assistance from UNRWA. Similarly, tens of families residing in Al-Ball camp reported receiving no aid for all of Ramadan. ●● The delivery of humanitarian services has fundamentally been compromised by the deteriorating security situation, particularly in the Dera’a area, where UNRWA facilities had to close several times during May. In general, UNRWA and aid agencies have difficulties reaching Palestinian refugees who are currently in areas controlled by rebel forces. ●● Ongoing violence has led to an increase in the internal displacement of Palestinian refugees in Syria. In addition to threatening the security and livelihood of the twice-displaced refugees, the human mobility in an attempt to flee conflict has hindered implementation of effective lockdown measures and social distancing. ●● UNRWA has reported an acute lack of COVID-19 testing facilities in all of Syria.