UNRWA officials consolidate partnership with Spanish regions – UNRWA Press Release

UNRWA Commissioner General and Deputy Commissioner General Consolidate Partnership with Spanish Regions

UNRWA Commissioner General, Ms. Karen Koning AbuZayd, paid an official visit to the Spanish region of Valencia on 17 June and UNRWA’s Deputy Commissioner General, Mr. Filippo Grandi, met with regional representatives of the Balearic Islands on 23 June, consolidating UNRWA’s partnership with both Spanish regions and raising awareness in both communities of the predicament of Palestine refugees.

In a meeting with Valencia’s regional Minister for International Cooperation, Immigration and Citizenship, Mr. Rafael Blasco Castany, and the regional Director General for Development Cooperation and Solidarity, Ms. Carmen Dolz, Ms. AbuZayd high-lighted crucial issues affecting the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and North Lebanon and recalled the importance of Valencia’s financial support towards UNRWA’s emergency activities in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Mr. Blasco mentioned the keen interest of the Valencian community to help UNRWA in relieving the hardship of Palestine refugees. He commended the Agency for its excellent work under difficult circumstances.

During her visit, the Commissioner-General also delivered the key-note address on the current situation in the oPt at Valencia’s World Refugee Day event, jointly organized by the Generalitat of Valencia and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She also opened a photo exhibit on the condition of Palestine refugees which was organized by the UNRWA Spanish Committee (UNRWACE).

Since 2006, the Spanish region of Valencia has contributed over EURO 500,000 to UNRWA through UNRWACE. UNRWA used these funds to support the Emergency Job Creation Programme and the rehabilitation of shelters in the West Bank. Funds were also used to finance the hosting of the UNRWA’s photo exhibit in different Valencian cities.

In 2008, UNRWA expects to receive additional funding from the regional government of Valencia to support for the Agency’s emergency food aid programme in Gaza, emergency mobile health clinics in the West Bank and an educational project to be implemented by UNRWACE in schools in Valencia.

During his one-day visit to the Balearic Islands (Palma de Mallorca), the Deputy Commissioner General, Mr. Filippo Grandi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Spain’s regional government of the Balearic Islands in the presence of the regional Minister of the Government of the Balearic Islands for International Cooperation, Immigration and Social Affairs, Ms. Josefina Santiago, and the Director General of the Balearic Islands’ Agency for International Cooperation, Mr. Joseph Balanzat.

In his address, the Deputy Commissioner General, speaking in Spanish, thanked the Balearic Islands for their solidarity and support for the 4.5 million Palestine refugees the Agency serves and highlighted the crucial importance of stable contributions embedded in multi-annual agreements.

Mr. Grandi was able to raise public awareness of the suffering endured by Palestine refugees in the oPt, as well as their hardships in northern Lebanon. He conveyed a message of gratitude to the regional Government of the Balearic Islands and the Kingdom of Spain for their continued support in addressing Palestine refugees’ needs and paid tribute to the Spanish Friends of UNRWA for consolidating the relations with numerous Spanish regions.

The cooperation with the Spanish Government of the Balearic Islands commenced in 2007 with a contribution of EURO 180,000 towards the distribution of food commodities, targeting 4,450 displaced families from Nahr El Bared. Following the signature of this MoU, the regional government of the Balearic Islands will further fund a EURO 150,000 project for the implementation of environmental health and water supply works in nine refugee camps of the West Bank.