|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
UNRWA Commissioner-General grateful for Interpal funding boost
Number of Views:
349
1 December, London
The Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Karen AbuZayd, was the principal guest at a reception held in her honour by Interpal, the charity which works to help Palestinians in need. She spoke of how happy she was to be working with Interpal, and thanked the charity for “bailing UNRWA out” at a time of funding crisis for the organisation.
UNRWA’s operations are financed almost entirely by voluntary contributions from governments and the European Union, but its current balance sheet shows a funding shortfall of US$39.1 million. Interpal has provided around £1 million for UNRWA activities over the past year, and recently participated in UNRWA’s s annual Hosts’ and Donors’ Meeting in Amman, joining the attendant field visits to projects in Jordan and Lebanon.
Speaking at the reception, which was also attended by Members of Parliament and voluntary agencies and charities engaged in the region, Ms AbuZayd said that the situation in Gaza was “at a point that I have not seen before. The people of Gaza are being deprived of the basic things they need to be able to live. There is basically no electricity and people are saying to us – please bring us candles.”
“Never”, she said, “have we been so deprived of our ability to get into Gaza’s refugee camps. We are only able to feed people a week at a time. We have major concerns on what we can do for refugees in the next 15 months. The refugees have nothing.”
Charged with supplying aid to around 750,000 Gazans, UNRWA needs 15 trucks a day to get through to Gaza. Since early November, only 31 trucks have been allowed to cross the border with Israel. Ms AbuZayd called on European governments to put pressure on the Israelis to relieve the blockade.
-Ends-
For more information, please contact:
Katy Taylor-Gooby
katy@raittorr.co.uk
0207 630 9778
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|