Secretary-General to Attend Conference in Support of UNRWA – SecGen Spokesperson – Noon Briefing (Excerpts)

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 13 MARCH 2018

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO ATTEND CONFERENCE IN SUPPORT OF U.N. AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN ROME

• The Secretary-General will leave on Wednesday for Rome, where he will attend a conference in support of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Thursday.
• The conference is intended to support a collective response by the international community to protect the rights and dignity of some 5.3 million Palestine Refugees registered with UNRWA and ensure that the Agency’s funding deficit of USD 446 million is urgently resolved.
• While in Rome, the Secretary-General will co-chair a ministerial meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon. He will emphasise the importance of supporting the people and State institutions of Lebanon.
• The Secretary-General will then travel to Lisbon, where he will speak to the Islamic Community of Lisbon as it marks its 50th year as an organization.
• The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, is releasing $30 million today from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to urgently support Palestine refugees through UNRWA.
• An exceptional grant of $15 million will enable UNRWA to avoid disruption of life-saving food assistance to vulnerable refugees in the occupied Palestinian territory, where over 2.5 million people are currently in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
• Donors are encouraged to step up urgently and increase their support for humanitarian action in the occupied Palestinian territory and the region and for UNRWA as a major humanitarian aid provider.

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