An international responsibility Palestinian refugees remain a responsibility of the international community until their overall question is settled in line with relevant UN resolutions (e.g. UNGA Res. 194 of 1948, 302 of 1949, 2252 of 1967, and UNSC Res. 237 of 1967) and other norms of international law. Although host countries bear the responsibility of ensuring the enjoyment of human rights of everyone living on their territories, international protection of Palestinian refugees is guaranteed by UNRWA on behalf of the international community.16 As part of this responsibility, UNRWA delivers core program and services to million refugees in the field of education, health, and relief and social services. Palestinian refugee camps. The camps are notoriously crowded – with some of the highest population densities in the world – making enforcement of social distancing largely impossible. Inadequate WASH infrastructure is likely to contribute to accelerated contagion and mortality rates.17 Pre-existing health conditions that the WHO considers high risk factors for “Severe Illness” – especially NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancer are also pose a threat for many camp refugees. The social factor vis-àvis health in the refugee camps means that the adverse effects of containment strategies on Palestinian livelihoods can also be expected to negatively impact community resilience to the virus. Current regional facts: Palestinian refugees and COVID-19 Domestic and gender-based violence (GBV) The COVID-19 pandemic in the region has had a significant impact on Palestinian refugees and exposed their hazardous and precarious living situation. Although the number of confirmed cases has been small, the risk for a public health crisis remains high, and the extended social, political and economic impact of the crisis is expected to have long-lasting consequences. In general, the following facts apply to the situation of Palestinian refugees in the region per sector: Health As of May 26, a total of 2,359 cases of COVID-19 have been registered across Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestine and Syria, of which 130 involve Palestinian refugees. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Palestinian refugees themselves have been steadfast in adopting preventive measures to avoid the spread of the virus. In the long term, the threat of a COVID-19 epidemic remains high for At the time of COVID-19, an increased risk of domestic and gender-based violence (GBV) has been indicated by women in vulnerable communities across the Arab region. Since the lockdown measures were put in place in Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestine and Syria, UNRWA witnessed a drop in the identification of cases – 68 per cent decrease in the number of GBV cases in Jordan – as monitoring and reporting became difficult due to movement restrictions and the closure of GBV dedicated offices and services. More specifically, movement restrictions prevented women and girls from accessing essential services, including health, protection, security and justice. Livelihood In line with the general consequences of responsive measures to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Palestinian refugees have lost their jobs and other sources of income.18 This has particularly been the case for Palestinian refugees who work 3