Today, the European Commission proposed additional support for
UNRWA to allow the agency to keep providing access to education
for 500,000 Palestine refugee children, primary health care for
more than 3.5 million patients and assistance to over 250,000
vulnerable Palestine refugees.
During the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Ministerial meeting in the
sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission
Federica Mogherini said: "Today
we reaffirm the EU's political and financial support to UNRWA,
with an overall contribution from the EU and its Member States
of €1.2 billion for the past three years. UNRWA is
essential for the perspective of a two-state solution.
Supporting the agency means supporting peace and security in
the Middle East. And this is in our strategic interest."
Also present at the meeting, Commissioner for Neighbourhood
Policy and Enlargement Negotiations,
Johannes Hahn, stated: “Keeping
schools open for Palestine refugees is a key priority for all
of us. With this additional funding we reaffirm the European
Union's clear and firm commitment to UNRWA and Palestine
refugees. This is an exceptional response to an exceptional
crisis. UNRWA needs now to focus on core services to the most
vulnerable and to urgently align its activities to available
funding. We stand ready to help UNRWA and to work with host
governments to manage the process."
Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Management,
Christos Stylianides added: “Our
additional humanitarian assistance will help UNRWA respond to
health needs which have increased significantly over the past
six months in Gaza. This will strengthen the healthcare system
and help UNRWA-run primary healthcare centres in Gaza meet
increased demands. We remain committed to assisting the most
vulnerable people in Gaza and to strengthening the resilience
of the most affected communities.”
The European Union has long been the largest and most reliable
donor to the agency. This additional support for 2018 brings
the overall European Commission contribution to UNRWA's
activities in 2018 to €146 million. For the past three years
(2016, 2017 and 2018) the total contribution of the EU and its
Member States combined has reached approximately €1.2 billion.
The EU also works with UNRWA to take forward internal reforms
to secure a sound and sustainable financial basis, which
includes focusing on core services to the most vulnerable.
Background
Since 1971, the strategic partnership
between the European Union and UNRWA has been based on
the shared objective of supporting the human development,
humanitarian and protection needs of Palestine refugees and to
promoting stability in the Middle East.
In June 2017, the EU and UNRWA signed a "2017-2020 Joint
Declaration", strengthening the political nature of their
partnership and reaffirming the European Union's commitment to
promoting the rights of Palestine refugees. The Declaration
also confirmed the EU's support for the long-term financial
stability of the Agency in a context of intensified budgetary
constraints and operational challenges.
The impact of UNRWA's funding crisis is particularly acute in
the Gaza Strip where the EU's engagement is strongly focussed
on creating better perspectives for the Palestinian people.
In addition to its participation to the UNRWA Ministerial
meeting in New York on 27 September, the EU will also be
represented by High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini and
Commissioner Hahn at the annual autumn meeting of the
international donor coordination group in support of the
Palestinian economy, the Ad Hoc Liaison
Committee (AHLC), in New York on the same day.
Since 1993 the AHLC has served as a key policy-level
coordination mechanism for financial assistance to the
Palestinian people, with a purpose of preserving the vision of
a negotiated two-state solution.
For More Information
EU cooperation with
Palestine
EU humanitarian
assistance in Palestine
The Office of the
European Union Representative (West Bank and Gaza Strip,
UNRWA)
United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA)
