Jordan donates US$ 4.3 million in support of Palestine Refugees and UNRWA operations in the Gaza Strip – UNRWA News Release

“We are immensely grateful to His Majesty King Abdullah for this extraordinary gesture in support of Palestine Refugees in the Gaza Strip. Jordan has been known over the decades for its generosity towards refugees and the Palestinians. It is hosting the highest number of Palestine Refugees and has been a trusted and committed partner to UNRWA since its establishment in the early 1950s,” said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General.

This generous assistance from Jordan – a first in cash in the history of UNRWA – will support the teams in Gaza to respond to unprecedented humanitarian needs including to deliver food and other basic supplies to those impacted by the ongoing crisis.

More than 222,000 people have sought refuge in over 90 UNRWA schools and other facilities. The Agency’s resources are stretched to the limit as frontline workers respond to emerging needs around the clock. UNRWA ran out of basic supplies in the shelters including mattresses, hygiene and cleaning supplies.

“Jordan is one of the first countries to heed the Arab League’s call to provide funding to UNRWA as our Agency struggles with deep financial needs made much worse by the recent escalation in the Gaza Strip. We do hope that other countries around the Arab region follow suit and lend a hand to families in need. The time to turn solidarity into action is now,” concluded Lazzarini.

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• Across the Gaza Strip, UNRWA provides services to 1.4 million Palestine Refugees, including food aid to nearly 1.2 million;
• Stocks of basic supplies that UNRWA currently has can last for less than 12 days, accommodating 150,000 people only;
• UNRWA yesterday issued a US$ 104 million Gaza Flash Appeal in response to the escalation in the Gaza Strip.
• For more details on the situation in Gaza, see our latest UNRWA Situation Report.

UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.  UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development. It does this through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance.  UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.