KUWAIT PATIENTS HELPING FUND SOCIETY DONATES MEDICINES TO PALESTINE REFUGEES IN LEBANON
جمعية صندوق إعانة المرضى الكويتية تتبرع بالأدوية للاجئي فلسطين في لبنان
08 August 2016
The Kuwait Patients Helping Fund Society (KPHFS) has contributed US$ 200,000 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to help Palestine refugees in Lebanon living with non-communicable diseases manage their conditions. The agreement will enable UNRWA to provide antidiabetic and antihypertensive medicines to approximately 13,700 Palestine refugee patients in Lebanon over the course of a year. The agreement was signed on 4 August by Omar Rifai, representative of the UNRWA Commissioner-General and Chief of the Agency’s Arab Partners Unit, and Dr. Mohammad al-Sharhan, Chairman of KPHFS.
“UNRWA cares for over 5 million registered Palestine refugees in its five fields of operations, and the treatment of non-communicable diseases, which require life-long care, remains one of our most critical health priorities,” said Mr. Rifai. “We therefore greatly welcome this generous contribution from KPHFS, which will help ensure the provision of the necessary medicines to Palestine refugee patients living with non-communicable diseases in Lebanon.”
Although this is the first agreement between UNRWA and the Kuwait Patients Helping Fund Society, Kuwait as long been a consistent and reliable donor to UNRWA. In 2015, Kuwait contributed US$ 17 million in support of the Agency’s core programmes and services, as well as US$ 15 million to the 2015 Syria Regional Crisis Emergency Appeal.
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
Najwa Sheikh Ahmad
Acting Public Information Officer – Gaza Field Office
Mobile:
+972 597 920 542
Office:
+972 8 2887 488
Document Sources: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Country: Kuwait
Subject: Assistance, Health, Living conditions, Refugee camps, Refugees and displaced persons
Publication Date: 08/08/2016