EU contribution to UNRWA – European Commission press release/Non-UN document

EU contributes EUR 55 million to the UN Relief and

Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in 2002

IP/02/1638

Brussels, 8 November 2002 – The European Commission has decided to provide its annual contribution of €55 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) for the year 2002. The EU funds will support UNRWA's work supporting around 3.9 million Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza strip. The objective is to support education, health, relief and social services programmes. The decision has been taken in the context of the new funding convention signed between the European Union and UNRWA in September, which boosted Commission support to €237 million for the period 2002-2005.

The proposed EU-funded operations directly address the problems in the refugee camps:

Education: EU funds will help provide general basic education, through teacher training, vocational and technical education to enhance the opportunities of Palestinian refugees at all levels of the education system.

Health: The decision will help UNRWA in its mandate to protect, preserve and promote the health of Palestinian refugees. The objective is to maintain investment in primary healthcare, and improve the quality of essential health services provided to the refugees.

Relief and social services: Through this decision the European Commission will also contribute to helping to ensure a minimum standard of nutrition and shelter to the poorest refugees.

The EU's support to UNRWA underlines the importance that the EU continues to attach to the refugee issue.

This decision takes into consideration the support UNRWA is receiving from the international community, including EU member states. It also reflects the increased burden on UNRWA imposed by the ongoing crisis, the increase of the Palestinian refugee population, and cost increases arising from inflated operational charges related to the blockage enforced by the Israeli authorities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

This EU-grant comes in addition to the European Humanitarian Office's (ECHO) contribution to UNRWA for specific programmes. ECHO financed UNRWA humanitarian operations in the Middle East, since 2000, worth €38.2 million.

For more information on EU support to UNRWA see IP/02/1438.