Estonia helps to alleviate the humanitarian situation of Palestinian refugees
18. August 2016 – 11:13
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) with 250,000 euros to help alleviate the humanitarian situation of people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Foreign Minister Marina Kaljurand said that the work of UNRWA is very important and necessary because the situation of people living in Gaza continues to be complicated and the need for humanitarian aid is high. “People living in the region mostly rely on foreign aid. Rebuilding the Gaza Strip after the war in 2014 continues and to offer people basic services they depend on international support,” Foreign Minister Kaljurand said.
UNRWA offers help in education and health care sector, provides food aid and reconstructs the infrastructure. 96,000 Palestinians living in Gaza need help to rebuild their homes that were either shattered or destroyed. Unemployment rate in Gaza is one of the highest in the world, especially among women and youth.
Since 1950 UNRWA has been standing for, helping and protecting more than 5 million Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied territory of Palestine. The organisation relies almost entirely on donations and this year they need 403 million US dollars.
Estonia has supported UNRWA main activities since 2009 and at the Gaza donor conference in 2014 in Cairo pledged to help reconstruct Gaza until 2018.
Additional information:
Mariann Sudakov
COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT, FOREIGN MINISTRY
(+372)521 6821
(+372)637 7628
press@mfa.ee
www.vm.ee
Document Sources: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Country: Estonia
Subject: Assistance, Gaza Strip, Humanitarian relief, Refugees and displaced persons
Publication Date: 18/08/2016