LONDON: US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield has announced $73 million additional aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Arab media reported on Sunday.
The ambassador said that the funding would enable the UN agency to carryout out its efforts to supply food to needy families, provide healthcare for children and pregnant women, assist students in furthering their education, and support people affected by the conflict through mental health services without any hindrance.
She said that the Wessington would also provide emergency humanitarian assistance to residents of Jenin and Ain Al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camps.
Funding crisis for Palestinian refugees
Earlier UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session said funding crisis for Palestinian refugees in Jordan and other countries has created a difficult situation.
Lazzarini added that the agency required from $170 to $190 million to continue its operations in Jordan, Lebanon and Gaza.
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Jordan’s King Abdullah II told the UNGA in New York that in Jordan, where refugees make up over a third of its 11 million population, aid cuts have already created problems for hundreds of thousands of refugees. He said the impact of such humanitarian issues will not be limited to a country or region.
Despite several UN member states committed to enhance boost their contributions to UNRWA, the agency still only has enough funding to provide services until October.
