GAZA, January 25, 2012 (WAFA) - The European Union Wednesday granted the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) €55.4 million as fund support, according to an EU-UNRWA press release.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and UNRWA commissioner-general Filippo Grandi signed the financing agreement at UNRWA’s Gaza Training Centre in the Gaza Strip.

Grandi expressed gratitude to the EU for its firm support of UNRWA, saying 'I would like EU citizens to know that thanks to their generosity, refugee children will go to school, the health of families and communities will be improved, and many of the most vulnerable Palestinians will be less poor.”

He said that “the concrete, substantial impact of this contribution is even more significant as it happens at a time when millions in the region are calling for better lives and more opportunities.”.

Ashton said 'the continued EU support to UNRWA is an essential element of the EU strategy to bring peace and stability to the region. The € 55.4 million contribution we are signing today represents our ongoing commitment to Palestine refugees.”

She said the contribution will support UNRWA's general fund, the main engine that keeps the organization going and provides all its essential services.

Ashton and Grandi met with youth leaders at the Gaza Training Center before moving on to speak with business and civil society leaders.

R.Q./M.S.