EU reaffirms strong commitment to support for Palestine refugees and for Palestine’s socio-economic development

December 20, 2018
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The EU mobilised €20 million additional financial assistance in support of the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and €73.3 million to improve the living conditions for the people in East Jerusalem and to foster economic development in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The funding provided to UNRWA supports the Agency’s efforts to ensure the provision of essential services to vulnerable Palestine refugees in the Middle East. This will bring the EU’s total contributions to UNRWA in 2018 to €153 million. Moreover, the EU made available an additional €73.3 million to support living conditions in East Jerusalem and strengthen resilience of Palestinians, as well as to promote economic development in all of the occupied Palestinian territory. This brings the EU support to Palestinians to a total of €350 million.

The EU is the largest contributor to UNRWA. Together with the EU Member States, the EU’s contribution for 2016, 2017 and 2018 amounted to €1.2 billion. This underlines the EU’s strong commitment to supporting UNRWA’s key role in responding to the needs of Palestine refugees for human development and protection in its five areas of operation, i.e. Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

 

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Countries covered:

  • Palestine *