UNRWA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL, PIERRE KRÄHENBÜHL,
MAKES HIS FIRST VISIT IN OFFICE TO SWITZERLAND
Bern
02 September 2014
The UNRWA Commissioner-General, Pierre Krähenbühl, has made his first official visit in office to Switzerland. During the two day trip, he met the President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Didier Burkhalter; the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yves Rossier and other senior officials of the Foreign Ministry, including the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation. Mr. Krähenbühl also met with the Swiss Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee.
“I wish to thank the government and people of Switzerland for their generous and unwavering support to UNRWA and the refugees we serve. The recent fighting in Gaza and the UNRWA response demonstrated once more how vital our services have become,” said Mr. Krähenbühl. “As the discussions intensify about the reconstruction of Gaza, it is becoming clear that UNRWA will be central to that effort. But let it not be forgotten that Swiss funds are supporting our services beyond Gaza, across the Middle East in war-torn Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the West Bank."
While in Bern, Mr. Krähenbühl briefed senior officials on the work of his Agency during the recent Gaza fighting and the ongoing humanitarian crisis. He announced that at least 20,000 homes were destroyed during the recent fighting in Gaza, and that there had been widespread destruction of public infrastructure. He argued that it was “an imperative for the international community and for the people of Gaza to reconstruct after the devastation”, which was unprecedented in recent history. But he warned that with the current blockade of Gaza in place, it could take over a decade to rebuild. Therefore, the blockade must be lifted.
“I visited Gaza three times during the recent conflict and the impact of the fighting on individual human lives, particularly the young, is palpable and profound. Hundreds of thousands of children are deep in trauma. We estimate that of the 3,000 children injured, 1,000 will have disabilities for life,” said Mr. Krähenbühl. “Several hundred UNRWA counsellors are working to restore a sense of normality. UNRWA will do all it can to restore human dignity to a community that has suffered enough.”
Mr Krähenbühl also expressed concern for the “more than 50,000 people” still living in UNRWA schools in Gaza because their homes had been destroyed. “We need to do all we can to find alternative accommodation for these people, as we are determined to begin our delayed school year on 14 September. It will be a challenge. We run 245 schools in 156 school buildings, many of which were damaged. We are giving an education to over 240,000 students in Gaza and we cannot put their education on hold. Education delayed is education denied,” he stressed.
Switzerland is the 11th largest UNRWA donor. Contributions to the Agency from Switzerland for 2014 so far stand at over CHF 16 million (US$ 17.4 million). The majority of these funds support the main UNRWA services, such as the education of half a million children and the provision of health care services to millions across the Middle East.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, and microfinance.
Financial support to UNRWA has not kept pace with an increased demand for services caused by growing numbers of registered refugees, expanding need, and deepening poverty. As a result, the Agency's General Fund (GF), supporting UNRWA’s core activities and 97 per cent reliant on voluntary contributions, has begun each year with a large projected deficit. Currently the deficit stands at US$ 70.5 million.
For more information, please contact:
Christopher Gunness
UNRWA Spokesperson
Mobile:
+972 (0)54 240 2659
Office:
+972 (0)2 589 0267
Sami Mshasha
UNRWA Arabic Spokesperson
Mobile:
+972 (0)54 216 8295
Office:
+972 (0)2 589 0724
Document Sources: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Subject: Armed conflict, Assistance, Economic issues, Gaza Strip, Humanitarian relief, Internally displaced persons, International presence, Living conditions, Population, Refugees and displaced persons, Shelter
Publication Date: 03/09/2014