The government of the People’s Republic of China provides US$ 3 million in emergency humanitarian assistance for Palestine refugees in Gaza – UNRWA Press Release

02 August 2024

Head of Office of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Palestine, Ambassador Zeng Jixin and Deputy Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Antonia De Meo, sign a contribution agreement to UNRWA. © 2024 UNRWA Photo

The Government of the People’s Republic of China will provide UNRWA with US$ 3 million to support the Agency’s primary health services and emergency food assistance in the Gaza Strip.

With the outbreak of the war in Gaza last October, some 154 UNRWA installations including schools, training centres, warehouses and health centres, were transformed into emergency shelters for displaced people. In addition, UNRWA’s logistics capacity is the backbone of the unprecedented humanitarian operation by the UN system and its partners to provide lifesaving support to 2.2 million people.

Thousands of UNRWA staff – who themselves have been displaced multiple times, over 200 of whom have been killed – continue to deliver critical services at the Agency’s health centres that remain operational. People seeking protection at UNRWA shelters continue to receive food and clean drinking water to the extent possible, in the face of huge risks – 190 UNRWA facilities have been damaged and at least 563 people seeking safety in the Agency’s shelters have been killed

In referencing their support for UNRWA, His Excellency, Head of Office of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Palestine, Ambassador Zeng Jixin, said, “China has always supported UNRWA’s active performance of its duty, and called on the international community to support the Agency’s work. After the outbreak of the Gaza conflict last year, China provided emergency cash assistance to the Agency. In order to implement the spirit of the keynote speech delivered by President Xi Jinping at the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in May this year, China made a donation of US$3 million to UNRWA to support the Agency in its work on providing emergency humanitarian assistance to Gaza. China will continue to implement the Global Security Initiative and work with the international community to make unremitting efforts to end the fighting in Gaza at an early date, ease the disastrous humanitarian situation and implement the two-State solution.”

Expressing her appreciation for this vital contribution, Antonia De Meo, Deputy Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Programmes, said: “The scale and severity of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains at an unprecedented level. In these challenging times, the timely financial support from the Government of China has once again demonstrated China’s resolute commitment to the work of UNRWA and to alleviating the immense suffering and hardship faced by the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

Since making its first contribution to UNRWA in 1964, the People’s Republic of China has consistently provided financial and political support to the Agency. Apart from the financial contribution, China also pledged an emergency humanitarian in-kind donation for Gaza through UNRWA.