- On a visit to Jalazone Refugee Camp in the West Bank, the
Foreign Secretary announced new funding for the UN Relief and
Works Agency (UNRWA) which will provide lifesaving support for
Palestinian refugees.
- A package worth £10 million will contribute to UNRWA’s
provision of services, including the provision of education to
around 543,000 children and health services to 1.9 million
Palestinian refugees.
- The Foreign Secretary warned of a ‘humanitarian crisis’
facing Palestinian refugees and urges international community to
follow UK lead on UNRWA and step up their support.
The Foreign Secretary has announced a new package of support for
Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.
On a visit to Jalazone Refugee Camp in the West Bank, the Foreign
Secretary announced a funding boost of £10 million to UNRWA, the
UN body which supports 5.9 million refugees in Gaza, the West
Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
The additional funding will respond to the deepening crisis for
Palestinian refugees. The UK’s increased annual contribution to
UNRWA will support the agency to continue providing education to
around 543,000 children a year - half of them girls - and deliver
health services to 1.9 million Palestinian refugees in the
region. 5.9 million registered Palestinian refugees are covered
by the agency’s mandate.
Foreign Secretary said:
On my visit to Jalazone refugee camp today, I have seen
first-hand the impact of UNRWA’s work supporting Palestinian
refugees in the West Bank.
UK funding is helping to support 5.9 million Palestinian refugees
across the region with vital healthcare and education services,
and today I’ve announced a further increase to our contribution.
UNRWA is in dire need of additional support to continue its work,
so I urge the international community to step up support.
The Foreign Secretary met with UNRWA Commissioner-General
Philippe Lazzarini during the visit and heard about the financial
crisis facing UNRWA. He discussed the important services that
UNRWA are delivering in the face of increasing violence and
fragility. He also met with students from the UNRWA school in
Jalazone Refugee Camp.
Escalations in violence have put increased pressure on
Palestinians and UNRWA’s essential services. UNRWA is a lifeline
for millions of Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza,
Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Further information
- UNRWA was created in 1949 with a temporary mandate to provide
essential services to Palestinian refugees.
- The Palestinian refugee population that UNRWA supports has
grown from 700,000 in 1948 to 5.9 million today, spread across
Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
