The United States announced today that it is contributing US $150 million to the?United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East?(), restoring its role as a decades-long friend and supporter?of?the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ agency that provides life-saving?human development and?humanitarian?aid?assistance to Palestine refugees across the Middle East.
The restoration of funds comes after recent years of severe financial crisis for?Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA.?The COVID-19 pandemic?has?only worsened the situation, forcing the Agency to respond to a public health crisis amid the??and manage its resources on a month to month basis due to unreliable funding.
From?the time Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA was established in 1949 until 2018, the United States was the largest funder of the Agency, ensuring that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA was able to fulfill its Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ General Assembly mandate to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestine refugees until a?just and?enduring political solution to the conflict is achieved.
Remarking on the?U.S.?announcement, Secretary of State Antony?Blinken?said, ¡°The United States is pleased to resume?support for Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA¡¯s?services, including?an?education for over 500,000?Palestinian?boys and girls,?thereby?providing?hope and stability in?Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA¡¯s five fields of operation in?Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and?the West Bank?and Gaza Strip.¡±
The newly announced U.S. funding will support?the overall?Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA?programme?budget — the majority of which funds the operation of more than 700 schools educating over half a million children and almost 150 primary health clinics providing 8.5 million patient consultations a year — as well as??to respond to dire humanitarian challenges in Syria, the West Bank?(including?in?East Jerusalem)?and Gaza.?These funds will support?food, emergency cash assistance, emergency health, mental health and psychosocial support, education in emergencies, protection, water and sanitation,?and COVID-19 response.
Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA Commissioner-General Philippe?Lazzarini?expressed gratitude for the renewed Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA-U.S. relationship and welcomed the funding disbursement. ¡°Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA and the United States are historical partners in working together, alongside other generous Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Member States, to ensure that Palestine refugees can thrive. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA could not be more pleased that once again we will partner with the United States to provide critical assistance to some of the most vulnerable refugees across the Middle East and fulfill our mandate to educate and provide primary health care to millions of refugees every day. There is no other institution that does what Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA does, and we are committed to protecting the safety, health and future of the millions of refugees we serve. The U.S. contribution comes at a critical moment, as we continue to adjust to the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic presents. We encourage all Member States to contribute to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA.¡±
Document Sources: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA)
Country: United States of America
Subject: Assistance, Education and culture, Health, Refugee camps, Refugees and displaced persons
Publication Date: 07/04/2021
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