Published : 14-03-2019
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has appealed to donor countries, gathering in Brussels on Thursday, not to forget the plight of the Palestinians in Syria and to donate the same level of contribution as last year.
"I would be very grateful if in this conference, and in general support to UNRWA, ...every donor could maintain its level of contribution," Pierre Krahenbuhl, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told Kuwaiti News Agency KUNA in an interview.
"Our humble request to decision makers and opinion makers is that we continue to consider the situation of Palestinian refugees in Syria with great attention," said Krahenbuhl, who is in the Belgian capital to take part in the third Brussels conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region.
He noted that the Syrian conflict has caused immense suffering and trauma over the past eight years. The 560,000 Palestine refugees in Syria were largely self-sufficient before the war. Today over 95 percent of the approximately 440,000 Palestinians still in Syria are entirely reliant on humanitarian aid for their survival, warned Krahenbuhl.
The situation for those who have fled to Lebanon (some 28,000) and Jordan (some 17,000) is also dire.
He noted that the US decision last year to cut funding for UNRWA led to the most severe financial crisis faced by the UN agency ever.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has appealed to donor countries, gathering in Brussels on Thursday, not to forget the plight of the Palestinians in Syria and to donate the same level of contribution as last year.
"I would be very grateful if in this conference, and in general support to UNRWA, ...every donor could maintain its level of contribution," Pierre Krahenbuhl, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told Kuwaiti News Agency KUNA in an interview.
"Our humble request to decision makers and opinion makers is that we continue to consider the situation of Palestinian refugees in Syria with great attention," said Krahenbuhl, who is in the Belgian capital to take part in the third Brussels conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region.
He noted that the Syrian conflict has caused immense suffering and trauma over the past eight years. The 560,000 Palestine refugees in Syria were largely self-sufficient before the war. Today over 95 percent of the approximately 440,000 Palestinians still in Syria are entirely reliant on humanitarian aid for their survival, warned Krahenbuhl.
The situation for those who have fled to Lebanon (some 28,000) and Jordan (some 17,000) is also dire.
He noted that the US decision last year to cut funding for UNRWA led to the most severe financial crisis faced by the UN agency ever.
