The European Commission will mobilise additional €21 million
for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) on top of
€82 million already paid into the programme budget this year to
support vulnerable Palestine Refugees in the Middle East.
Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement
Negotiations
Johannes Hahnsaid: "UNRWA is an
essential provider of vital services to millions of Palestine
refugees, and a stabilising force in the region. The EU's
additional contribution is to ensure that millions of Palestine
refugees continue to benefit from health services and education
across the region. We hope that others will also step
forward."
The announcement was made at the UNRWA annual pledging conference
which took place in New York on 25 June. The EU was
represented by the Head of Delegation of the European Union to
the United Nations, Mr João Vale de Almeida.
EU and UNRWA
The EU acknowledges and supports the essential contribution made
by UNRWA to the well-being, protection and human development of
Palestine refugees. Generations of Palestine refugees have been
educated and provided with opportunities to live in dignity via
the efforts of UNRWA.
The European Union is a reliable and predictable supporter of
UNRWA and the Agency's single largest donor. Today's contribution
comes in addition to the €82 million already paid into UNRWA's
programme budget and further humanitarian funding, bringing the
European Commission's global contribution to €107 million in 2019
alone. For the past three years (2016, 2017 and 2018) the total
contribution of the EU and its Member States combined reached
approximately €1.4 billion.
In parallel, the EU supports UNRWA's internal reform process
while reconfirming the crucial role the Agency plays in providing
vital assistance to refugees in need in the Middle East.
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.
