25 September 2012
East Jerusalem
The Government of Poland has committed nearly USD 156,000 (PLN 650,000) to the emergency relief programmes of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The announcement was made today during a meeting between Polish representative to the Palestinian Authority Boguslaw Ochodek and UNRWA’s director of external relations and communications Mr. Salvatore Lombardo.
The Polish donation will directly contribute to humanitarian relief for nearly two million Palestine refugees in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Accepting the donation, Mr. Lombardo expressed his gratitude to the government and people of Poland. “These funds are a critical bridge between the most marginalised populations in the occupied Palestinian territory and the outside world. We are pleased that even during a time of such great economic uncertainty, Poland remains a strong supporter of Palestine refugees.”
Since 2007, Poland has contributed just under USD 1 million to UNRWA’s human development and emergency programming, supporting education, health, relief, and more for some five million Palestine refugees across the Middle East.
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Background information:
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. Financial support to UNRWA has not kept pace with an increased demand for services caused by growing numbers of registered refugees, expanding need, and deepening poverty. As a result, the Agency's General Fund (GF), supporting UNRWA’s core activities and 97 per cent reliant on voluntary contributions, has begun each year with a large projected deficit. In 2012, the initial budgeted GF cash deficit was USD 75 million.
For more information, please contact:
Christopher Gunness
UNRWA Spokesperson
Mobile: +972 (0)54 240 2659
Office: +972 (0)2 589 0267
c.gunness@unrwa.org
Sami Mshasha
UNRWA Arabic Spokesperson
Mobile: +972 (0)54 216 8295
Office: +972 (0)2 589 0724
s.mshasha@unrwa.org
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