UNRWA REFUTES OLD ACCUSATIONS AGAINST ITS SCHOOL IN RAMEH
16 July 2016
Statement by UNRWA Spokesperson Chris Gunness
Old accusations against UNRWA’s school in Rameh, Syria have been recirculated following the attack in Nice yesterday. These centre on a Facebook posting of a vehicle ramming a group of people. The posting concerned is from an “imposter page” that was not authorized by UNRWA and was removed by Facebook nearly a year ago.
UNRWA has written formally to the government of France to express sympathy and condolences to the French people.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
UNRWA is confronted with an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. As a result, the UNRWA Programme Budget, which supports the delivery of core essential services, operates with a large shortfall, projected for 2016 to stand at US$ 74 million. UNRWA emergency programmes and key projects, also operating with large shortfalls, are funded through separate funding portals.
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection and microfinance .
For more information, please contact:
Christopher Gunness
Spokesperson, Director of Advocacy & Strategic Communications
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: Syria
Subject: Education and culture, Public information, Refugees and displaced persons, Terrorism
Publication Date: 16/07/2016