BELGIUM DONATES EUR 18.75 MILLION TO UNRWA
18 May 2015
Jerusalem
Belgium has announced a new contribution of EUR 18.75 million spanning 2015-2017 that will help UNRWA provide essential health, education, relief, social services and emergency relief assistance for Palestine refugees. The generous donation will help improve the lives of Palestine refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, and provide UNRWA a degree of sustainability in aid delivery.
This is the first multi-year contribution from Belgium to UNRWA. Multi-year agreements provide valued stability in an environment of financial and political uncertainty.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl said, “We are deeply grateful to Belgium, a longstanding partner of UNRWA, for the contribution. In an extremely challenging environment, it will allow us to continue providing core human development and emergency relief to vulnerable Palestine refugees. Such support allows us to keep our schools open and hospitals running for communities who may otherwise find themselves unable to access these essential services”.
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo said, “Belgium makes a part of its humanitarian aid budget available to international aid organizations such as UNRWA in the form of ‘core contributions’ that are not assigned to any particular humanitarian crisis. This approach gives these organizations a level of predictability in access to funds and the flexibility to respond immediately to humanitarian needs and emergencies.”
Throughout 2015 and beyond, continuing support from donors such as the Belgian government will be essential to ensure that Palestine refugees are able to enjoy a degree of stability and dignity in turbulent times. Belgium is a member of the Advisory Commission since 1953.
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: Belgium
Subject: Assistance, Education and culture, Health, Refugees and displaced persons
Publication Date: 18/05/2015