ANKARA, May 9, 2018 (WAFA) – As Turkey prepares to take over the chairmanship of the UNRWA Advisory Commission in July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Tuesday in Ankara with Pierre Krähenbühl, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, “to mark his strong support for the mandate and activities of UNRWA,” according to a press release.
“This important meeting took place at a time when Palestine refugees face dramatic circumstances in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,” it said, adding that Krähenbühl “highlighted the importance of standing for the rights and dignity of Palestine refugees.”
UNRWA said that as Turkey prepares to take over the important chairmanship of the UNRWA Advisory Commission in July 2018 and at a time when the Agency faces an unprecedented financial crisis, Turkey stepped forward with significant additional funding announced mid-March at an Extraordinary Ministerial Conference held in Rome. President Erdogan confirmed Turkey‘s steadfast determination to ensure that UNRWA is able to maintain its vital services in education, health-care and emergency relief.
The meeting centered on Turkey‘s direct support to UNRWA and using its influence with other member states of the United Nations in creating new funding alliances. It further reviewed ways to mobilize the Turkish private sector to assist the Agency, particularly during the Holy Month of Ramadan and as part of long-term partnerships.
President Erdogan said: "Turkey is deeply committed to the United Nations and will spare no efforts in supporting Palestine refugees. We will stand with UNRWA at this delicate time and mobilize our national mechanisms to support its ‘Dignity is Priceless’ campaign during Ramadan. We will also continue to call on the international community, including the member states of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation to increase their funding for UNRWA."
Commissioner-General Krähenbühl thanked President Erdogan for his invaluable commitment to UNRWA: "This meeting is a source of great encouragement. UNRWA services for 526‘000 students and millions of Palestine refugees must be preserved. They provide hope, a preservation of dignity and opportunity and I am very grateful for the President‘s strong affirmation of Turkey‘s engagement to help the Agency overcome its current crisis and stabilize its long-term financial situation."
UNRWA has faced an unexpected and unprecedented $446 million financial shortfall in 2018, following the decision of one of its main donors, the United States, to significantly reduce its contribution. Since then, the Agency has successfully mobilized nearly half of the amount needed, notably by means of an active diversification of its partnerships and as a result of strong international solidarity.
The Agency‘s situation remains very dire however and additional efforts are urgently needed to sustain critical services for Palestine refugees in a most unstable region. In this context, Turkey has significantly increased its direct contribution to UNRWA, adding $10 million to the Agency‘s core programs and announcing 26000 metric tons of flour as part of the assistance to one million Palestine refugees in Gaza.
A founding member of UNRWA‘s Advisory Commission in 1949, Turkey has always been a valued partner. The meeting with President Erdogan underscores the growing strategic nature of this partnership, said the UNRWA press release.
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