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Add to Preferred SourcesSweden contributed US$ 49.4 million to UNRWA human development and humanitarian assistance for 2020, as part of two multi-year agreements with the Agency.
US$ 45.3 million (SEK 423 million) will support the Agency’s core human development services of health, relief, and protection, as well as education for half a million children in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. An additional US$ 4.1 million will support UNRWA emergency operations in Syria (US$ 1.5 million) and the occupied Palestinian territory (US$ 2.6 million).
Sweden’s oPt appeal contribution will help UNRWA address the humanitarian needs of Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, through interventions such as emergency food assistance, emergency health, and cash-for-work, as well as the promotion and protection of the rights of refugees. In Syria – and for Palestine refugees from Syria in Lebanon and Jordan – Sweden’s generous financial support will be used to provide, in particular, cash assistance and emergency education to refugees in dire need of aid.
“In the increasingly challenging environment that Palestine refugees across the region live in, it is paramount that UNRWA continue to deliver critical human development and humanitarian aid to those who need it the most. We are deeply grateful to Sweden for its steadfast support throughout the decades and the predictability of its funding thanks to multi-year agreements for both core and emergency operations. I am particularly thankful to Sweden for disbursing this generous funding at the beginning of 2020, at a time when funds are usually lacking. In view of the Agency’s financial situation, this large contribution made early in the year sends an important message to the international community,” said Marc Lassouaoui, Chief of UNRWA Donor Relations Division.
Sweden is the fourth-largest donor to UNRWA. Beyond this, Sweden has always been a strong political advocate for UNRWA, as exemplified by its co-chairing of ministerial-level meetings on UNRWA.
Original source: UNRWA
Published on 06 March 2020