Norway increases contribution to UNRWA by 50 per cent – UNRWA press release

Norway Increases Contribution to UNRWA by 50 percent

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere announced on Friday that Norway is increasing its contribution to UNRWA’s General Fund by 50 per cent.

Mr Stoere made Norway’s commitment to strengthen its support for UNRWA in a meeting in Oslo with the Agency’s Commissioner-General, Ms Karen Koning AbuZayd.

Norway’s contribution to UNRWA’s General Fund will now be 150 million Kroner (24.8 million USD).

Coming out of the meeting Mr Stoere expressed his hope “that UNRWA will be able to cope with what is bound to be an increased demand on their services”.

The Commissioner-General described the dramatic increase in the demand for UNRWA’s services to Palestine refugees in Gaza and the West Bank as a result of the deterioration of the Palestinian economy.

“We have a five-fold increase in people coming to ask us for cash and other help”, she said.

This contribution will help UNRWA deliver humanitarian relief and provide education, healthcare and social services to over 4.3 million Palestine refugees living in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

The Commissioner-General is currently on a tour to the four Nordic capitals where she will meet with senior officials, ministers and heads of state.

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