UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTES US$ 20 MILLION TO CORE UNRWA SERVICES
14 May 2015
The United States has announced a new contribution of US$ 20 million to ensure UNRWA can continue providing education, health, relief and social services that meet the basic human needs of Palestine refugees in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza. UNRWA approached the United States to provide an earlier than planned contribution in view of delayed anticipated income from other sources and the lack of UNRWA cash reserves. The imminent funding shortfall would have impacted the Agency's ability to provide critical humanitarian assistance to Palestine refugee communities.
Speaking in Washington, Anne C. Richard, Assistant Secretary of Population, Refugees, and Migration, affirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting UNRWA, but noted growing alarm over the Agency’s worsening financial crisis, “The United States remains committed to supporting UNRWA, as is evidenced by the timeliness and the magnitude of our contributions to both the General Fund and to the Agency's important emergency appeals. We are deeply concerned by the Agency’s fragile financial situation.”
UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl thanked the government and people of the United States: “We are very grateful for this additional contribution, which will help UNRWA bridge a cash flow gap and maintain vital services to some of the most affected communities in the Middle East. Once again, the United States has been ready to support UNRWA and Palestine refugees when help is needed the most.”
The United States has now contributed more than US$ 183 million to UNRWA towards its 2015 appeals, including US$ 80 million to the General Fund for core services, US$ 38 million for the UNRWA emergency response in Gaza, more than US$ 63 million for the emergency response in Syria and US$ 2 million for relief work in Nahr el-Bared camp in Lebanon. The United States is the largest bi-lateral UNRWA donor.
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 more than US$ 106 million.
For more information, please contact:
Christopher Gunness
UNRWA Spokesperson
Mobile:
+972 (0)54 240 2659
Office:
+972 (0)2 589 0267
Sami Mshasha
Chief of Communications & Arabic Language 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)
Country: United States of America
Subject: Assistance, Humanitarian relief, Refugee camps, Refugees and displaced persons
Publication Date: 14/05/2015