WITH WINTER LOOMING, ECHO CONTRIBUTES €1.9 MILLION
FOR DISPLACED PALESTINE REFUGEES IN SYRIA AND JORDAN
28 October 2014
The EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO) is donating €1.9 million ($2.4 million) to provide cash assistance to Palestine refugees in Syria and Jordan who have been displaced by the ongoing conflict in Syria.
This donation will enable UNRWA to provide cash assistance of US$ 32 per month to 39,000 refugees in Syria, to cover their basic needs for two months. The UNRWA cash assistance programme ensures essential assistance reaches the most vulnerable refugees: the elderly, female-headed households, disabled persons and more than 280,000 refugees who have been displaced within Syria.
As winter approaches, this monthly cash assistance will help refugees cover essential costs including food, shelter, health care, transport and heating. It also affords them personal dignity and choice in managing their own wellbeing.
“We welcome the generous donation by ECHO and appreciate the organization’s excellent record of consistent humanitarian support to Palestine refugees displaced by the devastating war in Syria,” said Michael Kingsley-Nyinah, Director of UNRWA in the Syrian Arab Republic.
In Jordan, UNRWA will use ECHO funding to provide one-off cash payments to Palestine refugee families facing sudden crises or emergency situations, such as eviction or the death of a family bread winner.
Headquartered in Brussels, ECHO is dedicated to preserving life, preventing and alleviating human suffering and safeguarding the integrity and dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises. ECHO humanitarian aid covers areas including food and nutrition, shelter, healthcare, water and sanitation.
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 US$ 56 million.
For more information, please contact:
Christopher Gunness
UNRWA Spokesperson
Mobile:
+972 (0)54 240 2659
Office:
+972 (0)2 589 0267
Sami Mshasha
UNRWA Arabic Spokesperson
Mobile:
+972 (0)54 216 8295
Office:
+972 (0)2 589 0724
Document Sources: European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), European Union (EU), United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Country: Jordan, Syria
Subject: Armed conflict, Assistance, Food, Health, Humanitarian relief, Living conditions, Middle East situation, Refugee camps, Refugees and displaced persons, Women
Publication Date: 28/10/2014