Thirty one senior EU politicians have pledged their support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, stressing the UN agency’s key role in the volatile region.
In a joint letter published on Tuesday in The Guardian, the EU politicians who have dedicated their careers to promoting peace and security worldwide, called on UN member states for urgent financial support to UNRWA, to ensure that the latter maintains the capacity to respond to emergencies.
Among the signatories are the former President of the EU Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, former Foreign Ministers of Norway and Denmark, and former EU Commissioners. They stressed that although UNRWA continues to face financial and political challenges, its health, education, social and other services offer 5.6 million Palestine refugees in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, predictability in an otherwise very unstable environment.
“Without consistent, reliable funding UNRWA will not be able to fulfil its UN-mandated mission to protect and assist a vulnerable population of 5.6 million Palestinian refugees until there is a just and lasting solution to their plight,” their letter reads.
So far, UNRWA has received funding and pledges that can cover less than 50% of its main budget and 60% for its planned COVID-19 response, while its emergency budget to respond to the acute humanitarian needs in Syria and Gaza, where Palestine refugees often live in abject poverty is even less.
“In a region rife with conflicts, and now battling the health and socioeconomic impacts of Covid-19, UNRWA stands as a vital source of regional stability,” the letter adds.
In a statement released on Wednesday, UNRWA said it will distribute a one-time emergency financial assistance package to Palestinian refugees from Gaza living in Jordan. The one-time cash assistance worth of $141 will be distributed per family “under certain conditions,” and aims at helping families cope with the economic burden posed by the Coronavirus pandemic.
