AMMAN, March 23, 2015 (WAFA) - The Government of Kuwait Monday
announced an annual contribution of $2 million to the UNRWA General Fund, which
aims at helping it in providing Palestinian refugees in need with the crucial
health, education, relief and social services.
UNRWA Deputy Commissioner-General Sandra Mitchell, who
received the contribution at the Kuwaiti Embassy in Amman, said that the: “The
Agency’s General Fund forms the backbone of our operations. It allows us to
keep our schools open and hospitals running for Palestine refugees who may
otherwise find themselves unable to access these fundamental services.”
In a press statement to the Kuwaiti Press Agency (KUNA), Kuwaiti Ambassador Hamad Al-Duaij said the contribution is issued within the framework of the Kuwaiti annual contribution to UNRWA and aims to support Palestinians, mitigate their suffering and meet their needs.
He added that the contribution is an implementation of the
directives of the Kuwaiti leadership, led by His Highness Prince Sheikh Sabah
Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
“Reiterating that Kuwait never hesitated to lend a helping hand to the Palestinian people, the Ambassador added that this contribution aims to help UNRWA face the challenges of displacement that Palestinian people endure and to fulfill their duties towards refugees,” said the statement.
In January, UNRWA has been forced to suspend its cash assistance program in Gaza to tens of thousands of people for repairs to damaged and destroyed homes and for rental subsidies to the homeless, said an UNRWA press release.
UNRWA is responsible for providing food assistance, shelter and protection to more than 4.7 million Palestinian refugees in general. They are distributed in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
According to Robert Turner, UNRWA's Director of Operations in the Gaza Strip, 70% of Gaza’s population is refugees, with more than 1.2 million under UNRWA’s care. He predicted that the number of those refugees will increase to 1.5 million by the year 2020.
M.H
