UNRWA Commissioner-General visits Brussels March 2015
7 March 2015
Jerusalem
UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl visited Brussels from 2 to 4 March to meet senior representatives of the European Union and the Belgian Government.
The Commissioner-General provided firsthand information on the human and security challenges faced by Palestine refugees in the Near East. He shared his profound concern and alarm at the deteriorating humanitarian and socio-economic situation in all UNRWA fields of operation, in particular in Gaza and Syria. He also highlighted the increased vulnerability and protection concerns of Palestine refugees in the region.
The Commissioner-General pressed the case for urgent and effective action to address the critical and unresolved plight of Palestine refugees. He said: "There is nothing more important today for Palestine refugees and for the region than a political engagement to address their situation. Failure to do so could have increasingly severe consequences."
Underlying the importance of the partnership between the EU and UNRWA, the Commissioner-General expressed his deep appreciation for the longstanding backing provided by the EU and its member states, including Belgium, to the Agency's commitment to education and health, and its response to emergencies.
All interlocutors confirmed their support for UNRWA work, praising the commitment of its staff and deploring the loss of life during the conflicts in Syria and Gaza.
During his visit, the Commissioner-General met with the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, the European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, as well as other senior EU officials and most Presidents of the European Parliament’s political groups. He briefed the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and the 28 Ambassadors of the Political and Security Committee at the EU Council.
The Commissioner-General also met with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Didier Reynders, and was a guest speaker at a joint event of the Vereniging voor Internationale Relaties and the Royal Institute for International Relations.
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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
Milina Shahin
Public Information Officer – Gaza Field Office
Mobile:
+972 599 609 485
Office:
+972 8 2887213
Document Sources: European Union (EU), United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Country: Belgium
Subject: Assistance, Gaza Strip, Humanitarian relief, Refugees and displaced persons, Security issues
Publication Date: 07/03/2015