New Delhi: India has reached out to Palestine refugees to support them with US$ 2.5 million and the development of various projects. Recently, the Government of India contributed US$ 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in support of the Agency’s programmes and services, including education, health care, and relief and social services for Palestine refugees.
The contribution was presented to UNRWA by Sunil Kumar, Director of the West Asia and North Africa Division of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. Karim Amer, Director of Partnerships of the Department of External Relations of UNRWA, said, “This timely contribution is a strong demonstration of India’s unwavering support to the work of UNRWA and commitment to the wellbeing of Palestine refugees".
"On behalf of UNRWA, I would like to express our deep appreciation for the Government of India for its continued funding to the Agency and its backing of Palestine refugees across the Middle East", he added. It is pertinent to note that the Government of India is a dedicated donor to UNRWA, having given US$ 20 million in support of core UNRWA services to Palestine refugees across the Middle East since 2018.
Also read: Uzbekistan to hold international conference on Afghanistan; India attending
Karim Amer further thanked the enduring support of donors like the Government of India that the Agency can provide vital services to Palestine refugees across the Middle East in the face of its continuing challenges. The money will be used by UNRWA to provide education, health care, relief and social services for Palestine refugees.
UNRWA is confronted with an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5.7 million Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA across its five fields of operation.
Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. New Delhi has in the past extended economic assistance to the Palestinian people for various projects. The Indian government supported the construction of the Jawaharlal Nehru Library at the Al Azhar University in Gaza city and the Mahatma Gandhi Library-cum-Student Activity Centre at the Palestine Technical College at Deir Al Balah in the Gaza Strip.
