The European Union (EU) contributed EUR 82 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Through this contribution, and in line with the EU-UNRWA Joint Declaration 2021-2024, the EU continues to provide vital, reliable and predictable support to enable the Agency to fulfil its mandate, protect and assist Palestine refugees, and play a stabilizing role in the region.

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

In his remarks during the signing ceremony, the EU 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 extremely complex and challenging region is undisputed. This EUR 82 million package demonstrates once again our long-standing commitment and support to the Agency and its 28,000 staff on the ground in delivering core services across its five fields of operations. We all have a collective responsibility towards Palestine refugees to sustain UNRWA’s work, and we should to this effect, provide predictable and reliable multi-annual funding. The Agency’s financial situation remains critical and additional support from a wider donor community is urgently needed to prevent any interruptions in its services. The EU and its Member States will continue to support UNRWA, encourage internal reforms, and contribute to better serving Palestine refugees. By this, we keep the hope alive as we work towards a better future for Palestine refugees, including by restoring a political horizon.”