Brussels - Jeddah: Europe and the Arabs
Arab countries are required to renew their financial commitments towards Palestine refugees.. Yes, this is the call made by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees "UNRWA" on the sidelines of the Arab summit in Jeddah yesterday
This call came at the right time to remind everyone of the suffering of the refugees in the camps after everyone abandoned the Palestinians in the occupied territories and left them to face the Israeli military machine and the practices of the occupation soldiers on a daily basis.
The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, attended the League of Arab States Summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, commissioned by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. According to the Middle East News Agency
In his bilateral talks, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA highlighted the severe funding crisis afflicting the Agency amid unprecedented needs of Palestine refugees, urgently calling on wealthy Arab countries to restore or increase their financial support as the Agency struggles to fulfill its mandate and deliver services. vital for Palestine refugees.
“Supporting Palestine refugees is a collective commitment, and that includes Arab countries,” said Lazzarini. “Old partners have reduced their funding in the past few years, which has greatly affected our ability to maintain high quality services, including education, health care and social protection.” As the countries hosting Palestine refugees face their acute political and financial challenges, I hereby call on Arab donors to support UNRWA and to be among our close partners.
Over the past decade, UNRWA has suffered from funding shortages on an annual basis, which has led to serious losses in the quality of some services in its areas of operations. At the same time, refugee challenges have continued to grow exponentially amid unprecedented poverty, unemployment, financial crises, neglect In some cases, conflicts and natural disasters.
Lazzarini added: "The Arab countries were among the founders of UNRWA and the strongest supporters of the rights of Palestine refugees. Today, while UNRWA faces the danger of collapse, I hear statements from the region in support of the Palestinians and I call for expanding its scope to include refugees also through UNRWA."
In 2018, the funding provided to the Agency by Arab donors constituted a quarter of its total funding. Since then, this funding has decreased significantly, which deepened the financial crisis that the Agency suffers from.
Lazzarini concluded, "Although UNRWA is one of the largest United Nations agencies in the world, we live by subsistence at the end of each month. We are often unsure whether we can pay the salaries of our approximately 30,000 employees, as UNRWA employees are the pillar and engine of the Agency's basic services." “Including teachers, medical personnel, engineers and logistical support providers, who should not live in a state of constant uncertainty and limbo, and the same applies to the Palestine refugees they serve.”