Kuwait urges int’l community to support efforts by UNRWA

This news has been read 7524 times!

NEW YORK, Oct 9, (KUNA): Kuwait on Thursday urged the international community to assume the responsibility of supporting efforts by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). In remarks at a meeting for the UN General Assembly committee for announcing donations to the agency, Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Abdulaziz Al-Jarallah also appreciated the briefing offered by the UNRWA Deputy Commissioner- General on the agency’s conditions.

Al-Jarallah expressed concern over the UNRWA’s finances, which hinder the agency’s efforts to carry on with its educational, social and relief services to the Palestinian refugees, both in the occupied territories and in hosting countries. Kuwait has always been keen on backing UNRWA and has offered more than USD 163 million, both voluntary contributions to the agency’s budget, as well as responding to urgent appeals, the latest of which was USD 15 million to help 500,000 Palestinian students, he said. The country has allocated USD 45 million for the Palestinian refugees in Syria, during three annual conferences on the humanitarian situation in the war-plagued country, he added.

In 2009, Kuwait offered Palestinian refugees in Gaza USD 34 million, after Israel destroyed 36 UNRWA schools in the Strip. In addition, Kuwait presented USD 200 million to the international efforts for reconstruction in Gaza, during a Cairo conference held in October 2014, Al-Jarallah said. In the meantime, Al-Jarallah reaffirmed the Palestinian right of return, in line with item 11 of the General Assembly Resolution 194. He also urged the international community to pressure Israel to comply with all resolutions of the international legitimacy

This news has been read 7524 times!