GAZA, May 12, 2010 (WAFA) - UNRWA Commissioner-General, Filippo Grandi said, Wednesday that his aid agency suffers from a budget gap of approximately $175 million.
“We have a big funding gap against our yearly core budget,' Grandi told reporters in an UNRWA school in Gaza. “We have approximately a gap of $175 million, of which about $90 million are absolutely indispensable to run the agency.”
Grandi visited Gaza to celebrate the event of renaming an UNRWA school, in Beit Lahiya town, after Sheikh Zayed Bin Khlaifa Foundation of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates as the foundation has agreed to cover schools’ costs for one year.
The Commissioner-General said that the small gap of $90 million dollars is the equivalent of three months of operation of the agency. “So if we don’t get this money, after the first of October, we cannot function,” he stressed.
Commenting on the 62nd anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) Grandi said he is even embarrassed to say that the time has come to find a solution. “That time has long gone, we must find that solution for the refugees and it has to be just and equitable to the refugees.”
“This is of course the responsibility of the international community,” he said. “What UNRWA is saying to the politicians is do not forget refugees when you discuss peace.”
Grandi affirmed that that while politicians discuss the conflict, the UNRWA will continue to steadfastly provide services to the Palestinian refugees everywhere.
He urged donors to strengthen UNRWA, and to show to the refugees that the world cares for them.
Regarding the Israeli closure of crossing with Gaza, Grandi said that he is not happy about the lack of progress in allowing materials and other supplies to enter Gaza. “I’m not happy about that. I wish that more progress, more goodwill, be shown in this important exercise.”
He revealed that the UNRWA needs to rebuild at least one hundred schools in the Gaza Strip, saying it is a big plan, but this is “a very necessary plan, it’s not a luxury.”
“To implement this big plan, well need two things,” he said. “We will need more funds and I hope many more adoptions.”
“When the project requires more materials, we need to import into Gaza these building materials. It’s unacceptable, it’s a scandal that one year and half after the war we still cannot bring in building materials, the UN cannot bring in building materials,” he exclaimed.
