In response to the call of Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA’s Commissioner-General, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo has decided to allocate 19 million EURO over the next 3 years to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA, the United Nations agency which provides humanitarian help to Palestinian refugees. Belgium is one of the few donors that provides this kind of multi-annual funding. Considering the financial difficulties which Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA currently faces, the Belgian annual contribution will be disbursed immediately. The US government decided yesterday to suspend half of its support to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA.

Alexander De Croo:?¡°I have a lot of respect for Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA¡¯s work, which has to operate in the most difficult and dangerous circumstances. Living conditions in Gaza, Syria, the West bank and elsewhere in the region are particularly tough. For a lot of Palestinian refugees the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA is the last life buoy. With the help of Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA half a million of Palestine children are able to go to school. This prevents them from falling prey to radicalization and extreme violence.¡±

Belgium is together with other EU member states and the European Commission by far Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA¡¯s largest donor. The coming months and years Belgium will, along with the EU and countries from the region, continue to support Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA and the Palestinian refugees. The visit of Palestinian president Abbas next Monday in Brussels is a first opportunity to exchange thoughts in this regard.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA was established in 1949 in order to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees, who in the aftermath of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War numbered about 700.000. Today, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA offers to approximately 5 million Palestine refugees services such as education, health care and housing. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA is active in Palestinian occupied territories, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA defends also the rights of Palestinian refugees, in line with international law.