The UK has pledged new funds to the UN Relief and Works Agency
(UNRWA) to provide vital support to Palestinian refugees, the
UK’s Minister for the Middle East, , announced today.
UK support will help the Agency to continue delivering on its UN
mandate to support and protect Palestinian refugees.
The UK has consistently been one of UNRWA’s top donors, and its
support in the last year has enabled UNRWA to provide education
for more than half a million children and helped over 3.5 million
Palestinians access health services.
Minister for the Middle East, , said:
Overcrowded living conditions and years of conflict have left
Palestinian refugees particularly vulnerable to the impact of
coronavirus. The pandemic has made it more difficult for UNRWA
to carry out its essential work, yet its staff continue to work
tirelessly to provide help to those in need.
I am delighted the UK is providing this new support to UNRWA so
it can continue to deliver its vital services, including
healthcare and education, to Palestinian refugees.
The UK continues to support a negotiated settlement leading to a
safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign
Palestinian state; based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps,
Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states, and a just, fair
and realistic settlement for refugees.
Until that happens, the UK remains firmly committed to supporting
UNRWA and Palestinian refugees across the region.
Notes to editors
- This additional £33.5 million of UK funding announced today
brings the UK’s total contribution to UNRWA for 2020 to £34.5
million.
- On 23 June donors pledged $130m at the UNRWA pledging
conference co-hosted by Jordan and Sweden.
