The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) expressed on Thursday its deep gratitude to the State of Kuwait for the extraordinary contribution of US$ 42.1 million received on 14 November, bringing Kuwait’s contributions towards the UNRWA Programme Budget in 2018 to over US$ 50 million.
“I would like to extend a warm and heartfelt thank you to the State of Kuwait for its generous contribution to UNRWA core services for Palestine refugees,” the Director of the UNRWA Representative Office in New York, Peter Mulrean, said. “Kuwait’s steadfast and continuous support over the years has been a source of pride for the Agency and Palestine refugees, and we are deeply grateful to see that Kuwait has once again lent a helping hand at a time of historic dire needs for UNRWA and Palestine refugees.”
The Permanent Mission of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations hand delivered a cheque to Mr. Mulrean. The Permanent Representative of Kuwait, Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi said: “We deeply value the efforts of the Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl and UNRWA staff towards ensuring the continuation of the critical work of the Agency. Their dedication and hard work is very much appreciated.” Ambassador Al-Otaibi added, “This latest contribution is an expression of Kuwait’s continued commitment and historic support to the important work of UNRWA towards safeguarding the rights and dignity of Palestinian refugees, and stems from Kuwait’s firm and unwavering position in support of the Palestinian cause
This remarkable support by Kuwait comes as UNRWA faced in 2018 the most serious financial crisis in its history and will play a vital role in supporting the Agency’s core mandated services of education, health, relief an social services to over 5 million Palestine refugees in Gaza, West Bank including East Jerusalem, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
Kuwait has long been an important and consistent donor to UNRWA through its government and through several Kuwait-based organizations such as the International Islamic Charity Organization, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the Kuwait Red Crescent.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
UNRWA is confronted with an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. As a result, the UNRWA programme budget, which supports the delivery of core essential services, operates with a large shortfall. UNRWA encourages all Member States to work collectively to exert all possible efforts to fully fund the Agency’s programme budget. UNRWA emergency programmes and key projects, also operating with large shortfalls, are funded through separate funding portals.
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5.4 million Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA across its five fields of operation. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection and microfinance.
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Document Sources: State, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Country: Kuwait
Subject: Assistance, Humanitarian relief, Refugees and displaced persons
Publication Date: 21/11/2018
URL source: https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/press-releases/state-kuwait-makes-extraordinary-contribution-us-421-million-unrwa-bringing