RAMALLAH, Jul 24 (NNN-WAFA) – A senior Palestinian official, yesterday announced that, the financial crisis of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), made the agency no longer able to meet the growing needs of the Palestinian refugees.
Ahmad Abu Holi, head of the Refugees’ Department in the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said in a press statement that, UNRWA is suffering a financial deficit estimated at about 100 million U.S. dollars, in the budget of programmes related to health, education, and relief for Palestinian refugees.
The financial crisis prompted the UN agency to borrow from other international institutions, to pay the salaries of its employees for May, according to officials in the agency.
“The high rates of poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity among the Palestinian refugees, require the international community to act to support it, and provide sufficient and sustainable funding,” Abu Holi said.
“The Arab’s support for UNRWA will be the focus of discussion in the 108th session of the Conference of Supervisors of Palestinian Affairs, which will be held today, at the Arab League (AL) in Cairo,” he added.
Delegations of Arab countries hosting Palestinian refugees, including Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon, in addition to Egypt, the Arab Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation will join the conference.
The Islamic World Organisation for Education, Science, and Culture, as well as, the Palestine sector and the occupied Arab territories in the AL, are scheduled to attend.
UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly in 1949, and was mandated to provide assistance and protection services, including education, health care, relief, social services, camp infrastructure, improvement, protection and microfinance to some 5.7 million Palestinian refugees.
