Some 75 countries and non-governmental organizations have pledged
$130 million in financial commitments to the UN agency that
assists Palestinian refugees across the Middle
East, UNRWA, following a
virtual conference on Tuesday.
The meeting was held to bridge a $400 million funding gap so that
UNRWA can continue providing health, education and social
services to more than five million people in three countries and
the occupied Palestinian territory.
“Every day, UNRWA is contributing to human development and
stability in an increasingly volatile and challenging context,”
said UN Secretary-General António
Guterres, speaking from New York.
Not only does the agency provide a lifeline for millions of
Palestine refugees, he continued, it is also critical for
regional stability.
‘Unpredictable and unstable environment’
UNRWA -- officially the UN Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East -- was established following
the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.
It has operations in Gaza and the West Bank, but also in Lebanon,
Jordan and Syria, funded almost entirely by contributions from UN
Member States.
New chief Philippe Lazzarini took charge on 18 March, or just one
week after the COVID-19 pandemic was
declared.
He said the crisis has come as the Middle East enters “a period of renewed
uncertainty”, with Israel threatening to annex parts of
the West Bank and Lebanon facing economic chaos, while
the “seemingly endless” Syrian conflict rages on.
“In an unpredictable and unstable environment, we need, more than
ever, a predictable and stable UNRWA,” Mr. Lazzarini told the
conference, which was co-organized by Jordan and Sweden.
“But our greatest challenge is our financial stability. We are
operating at full capacity with inadequate resources.”
Nowhere left to cutback
Over the past five years, UNRWA has battled deep budget cuts,
which has led to $500 million in savings. But Mr. Lazzarini said
there is nowhere left to trim without affecting the quality of
its services.
“Year after year, month after month, UNRWA is on the edge of a
financial collapse. This cannot continue,” he stressed, urging
countries to take steps, including raising their annual
contributions.
Jordan hosts the largest number of Palestinian refugees, and
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi pledged to continue working
alongside partners.
“Any reduction in UNRWA’s services will only cause more suffering
for a people that have suffered for more than any people should
have to endure,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Sweden has contributed some $55 million to the agency
this year so far, the Minister for International Development
Cooperation reported.
Peter Eriksson said until there is a solution to the situation of
Palestinian refugees, “we have a shared responsibility to support
UNRWA.”
