Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Union announced its contribution of €82 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). According to a European statement issued on Tuesday, through this contribution, and in line with the joint declaration between the European Union and UNRWA 2021-2024, the European Union continues to provide vital, reliable and predictable support to enable the Agency to fulfill its mandate, protect and assist Palestine refugees, and play a stabilizing role in the region.

“I am deeply grateful for the European Union's strong and reliable support to UNRWA and the millions of Palestine refugees we serve,” said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. “The EU’s multi-year funding reaffirms the EU’s commitment to the well-being and rights of Palestine refugees until a just and lasting solution to their plight is found. The Agency remains committed to the highest standards of transparency and efficiency in the conduct of its operations, putting the best interest of refugees at its heart. EU donations will help us maintain on vital services across the region, including education for more than half a million girls and boys, and will send a message of hope at a time when Palestine refugees have been suffering from the worst social and economic conditions in years.”

The long years of blockade and repeated cycles of fighting in the Gaza Strip, the dramatic escalation of violence in the West Bank, the devastating earthquake in Syria that comes on top of 11 years of conflict, the unprecedented economic crisis in Lebanon, and soaring unemployment in Jordan are taking a heavy toll on Palestinian refugees. Most of them depend on UNRWA for their survival.

In his remarks during the signing ceremony, European Union Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff said: “UNRWA's contribution to the lives of Palestine refugees remains indispensable and its role in maintaining stability in this very complex and difficult region is indisputable. This €82 million package demonstrates once again our long-term commitment and support to the Agency and its 28,000 staff on the ground in the delivery of essential services across its five areas of operation. We all have a collective responsibility to Palestine refugees to keep UNRWA running, and to achieve this goal we must provide predictable and dependable multi-year funding. The Agency's financial situation remains critical and additional support from the broader donor community is urgently needed to prevent any disruption to its services. The European Union and its Member States will continue to support UNRWA, encourage internal reforms, and contribute to better serving Palestine refugees. Through this, we keep hope alive as we work towards a better future for Palestine refugees, including by restoring the political horizon.”

The European Union is the Agency’s third largest donor, contributing €97 million to the Agency’s program budget in 2022. The EU’s predictable and reliable support has enabled UNRWA to deliver essential frontline services to Palestine refugees including health and education. and social services and camp improvements across the five fields of operations. In the absence of a political solution to the conflict, the European Union has become a key strategic partner for the Agency, supporting its efforts to help Palestine refugees achieve their full human development potential despite unprecedented challenges.
Since 1971, the strategic partnership between the European Union and UNRWA is based on the common objective of supporting the human development, humanitarian and protection needs of Palestine refugees.

Today, the European Union is the largest multilateral provider of international assistance to Palestine refugees