Palestinian students pose for a photo at Kabri School run by the United Nations Works and Relief Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in Beirut, Lebanon, on September 5, 2018
Keystone
Pierre Krähenbühl, the head of the United Nations agency that supports Palestinian refugees, says he is encouraged by the signs of early donor support from Switzerland.
The humanitarian official welcomed signs that Switzerland would make an early annual contribution for 2019. He said Swiss donations to UNRWA had always been “robust” and “generous”.
Switzerland contributed CHF21.2 million for its operations in 2018 and promised an additional CHF7 million for institutional reforms.
Last year, UNRWA was confronted with a difficult financial situation. The US, which traditionally supplied nearly 30% of UNRWA’s budget, promised $365 million in 2018, but paid only a first instalment of $60 million before announcing in August that it would halt all future donations. The move was widely seen as a means of pressuring the Palestinian leadership to enter peace negotiations with Israel.
The financial shortfall was eventually made up by other donors. More than 40 states and institutions increased their assistance. Krähenbühl said on Tuesday that there were no indications states’ contributions would decrease in 2019.
Last year, UNRWA had to cut certain services due to the financial pressures, but no programmes were suspended. A total of 118 employees in the Gaza Strip lost their jobs, however, and the UN agency faced three weeks of protests.
Founded in 1949, UNRWAExternal link focuses on providing essential services to some 5.4 million Palestinian refugees across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including running 700 schools and 150 health clinics.
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