US REAFFIRMS ITS SUPPORT FOR Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA

06 July 2014

East Jerusalem

The United States of America has made a generous new contribution of $39,646,589 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA).

The bulk of the new U.S. contribution, $30,466,589, will support Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA’s core education, health and social services programmes, benefiting the approximately five million Palestinian refugees registered by Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Of this General Fund contribution, $3,954,111 will provide targeted assistance to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA education, health, and protection projects. In addition, the U.S. announced $9,180,000 to support reconstruction work in Gaza.

This new contribution brings the total fiscal year 2014 U.S. contributions to date to more than $250 million, including $135,466,589 for Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA’s 2014 General Fund.

Thanking the U.S. for its crucial support, Pierre Krähenbühl, Commissioner-General of Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA, said: “We are very grateful to the United States for this new contribution, which will make a major difference to the lives of many thousands of Palestine refugees”. He added: "the United States, which is our largest bilateral donor, has once again shown steadfast and consistent commitment to assisting Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA and Palestine refugees”.

BACKGROÄ¢¹½ÊÓÆµD INFORMATION

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, and microfinance.

Financial support to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA has not kept pace with an increased demand for services caused by growing numbers of registered refugees, expanding need, and deepening poverty. As a result, the Agency's General Fund (GF), supporting Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA’s core activities and 97 per cent reliant on voluntary contributions, has begun each year with a large projected deficit. Currently the deficit stands at US$ 69 million.

For more information, please contact:

Christopher Gunness

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA Spokesperson

Mobile:

+972 (0)54 240 2659

Office:

+972 (0)2 589 0267

Sami Mshasha

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA Arabic Spokesperson

Mobile:

+972 (0)54 216 8295

Office:

+972 (0)2 589 0724