RAMALLAH,
December 9, 2015 (WAFA) – The United Kingdom has contributed an additional £20
million ($30.3 million) to Palestinian refugees affected by Syria crisis.
UNRWA
announced in a press release that the UK
Government, through the Department for International Development (DFID), has
contributed an additional £20 million ($30.3 million) to support UNRWA efforts
to respond to the humanitarian needs of Palestine refugees in Syria and the
surrounding region.
This
brings the total donation by the UK for the Syria Regional Crisis Emergency
Appeal 2015 to £28 million ($42.28 million).
UNRWA
Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl said, “I am very grateful for this
highly significant contribution from the UK. The crisis in Syria is causing
acute suffering for civilians, including Palestine refugees. Those who still
live in Syria are dealing with increasingly inhumane conditions, while those
who have fled to neighboring countries, leaving behind their homes and
communities, are in desperate need of assistance.”
“This
contribution is critical to the Agency’s ongoing response to the Syria crisis,”
he added.
UNRWA
explained that of the £20 million ($30.3 million) additional contribution, £10
million ($15.15 million) will go towards assisting Palestine refugees inside
Syria where more than 95 percent of the 450,000 of those living in the country
rely on UNRWA to meet their daily basic needs.
The
remaining £10 million ($15.15 million) will go to the Agency's Syria
regional crisis response efforts in Lebanon, where the 42,000 Palestine
refugees from Syria face a marginalized existence and increasing vulnerability
due to limited access to formal employment, dire living conditions and
restrictions on their ability to renew their legal status.
This
group finds itself increasingly reliant on UNRWA support.
UNRWA added
that since the armed conflict in Syria began, the UK has contributed more than $93
million to support UNRWA efforts in response to the ensuing regional crisis.
The
agency is appealing for $415 million to meet the minimum needs of Palestine
refugees affected by the Syria crisis in 2015.
So far
this year, the international community has pledged $209.6 million towards the
Agency’s 2015 Syria Emergency Appeal, representing 50.5% percent of the total
amount requested.
K.F/M.H
