Japan contributes $5.5 million to UNRWA – UNRWA press release

Japan contributes $5.5 million to UNRWA

The Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Junichiro Koizumi, announced today a contribution of $5.5 million by his country to fund emergency assistance administered by UNRWA.

Japan’s donation will be allocated to programmes and projects covered by the Revised Emergency Appeal for 2006. UNRWA recently revised its Emergency Appeal, increasing the level of funding sought from $95.4 million to $170.7 million, in light of the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory.

In the West Bank, Japan will contribute to the Employment Generation Programme and to the Emergency Health Programme including Mobile Health Clinic Services. In Gaza, the Japanese contribution will finance the Emergency Health Programme, including several projects targeting health facilities.

Referring to the donation, Karen Koning AbuZayd, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, commented, “I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the Government of Japan for their generous contribution, which continues this important partnership with UNRWA.”

This contribution extends Japanese donations for the year 2006. Japan has already contributed $4.3 million to the Regular Food Aid Programme.

UNRWA is a relief and human development agency, providing education, health care, social services and emergency aid to over 4.3 million refugees living in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic.

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For more information please contact:

Jerusalem: Gaza:

Johan Eriksson Adnan Abu-Hasna

Office: +972-2-5890249 Office: +972-8-6777531

-5890408 Mobile: +972-599428061

Mobile: +972-542402632

UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East