KUWAIT ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION OF US$ 2 MILLION TO UNRWA FOR 2015
23 March 2015
Amman
The Government of Kuwait has today issued an annual contribution of US$ 2 million to the UNRWA General Fund. The generous contribution helps ensure UNRWA can continue to provide crucial health, education, relief and social services for Palestine refugees.
UNRWA Deputy Commissioner-General Sandra Mitchell, who received the contribution at the Kuwaiti Embassy in Amman, said: “The Agency’s General Fund forms the backbone of our operations. It allows us to keep our schools open and hospitals running for Palestine refugees who may otherwise find themselves unable to access these fundamental services. The annual contribution from His Highness Sheikh Sabah bin Ahmad Al-Sabah and the people of Kuwait is therefore greatly appreciated by UNRWA and the Palestine refugees we serve.”
In a press statement to the Kuwaiti Press Agency (KUNA), Kuwaiti Ambassador Hamad Al-Duaij said the contribution is an implementation of the directives of the Kuwaiti leadership, led by His Highness Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and is issued within the framework of the Kuwaiti annual contribution to UNRWA and aims to support Palestinian people, mitigate their suffering and meet their needs.
Reiterating that Kuwait never hesitated to lend a helping hand to the Palestinian people, the Ambassador added that this contribution aims to help UNRWA face the challenges of displacement that Palestinian people endure and to fulfill their duties towards refugees.
Ambassador Al-Duaij praised the role played by UNRWA in securing the essential needs of Palestine refugees in its fields of operations.
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$ 100 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: Kuwait
Subject: Assistance, Education and culture, Health, Refugees and displaced persons
Publication Date: 23/03/2015