Gaza _ Palestine News Network
The South Korean ambassador to Jordan, Lee Bum Yoon, and the Director of UNRWA operations in Jordan, Roger Davis, signed an agreement Thursday to provide a total of 400,000 US dollars to support vital cash assistance to Palestine refugees from Syria in Jordan in order to cover their needs .
This generous contribution from the Government of the Republic of Korea was made at a critical time when the agency is facing an unprecedented shortfall in funding, which threatens its ability to continue its basic services, including emergency programme services, according to a statement issued by UNRWA in Amman on Tuesday.
The Director of UNRWA operations in Jordan, Roger Davis, expressed his gratitude to the Republic of Korea, saying, "I salute the Republic of Korea for continuing and strengthening its support to UNRWA, and here I am specifically talking about its support for Palestine refugees from Syria in Jordan. Through this agreement, basic financial assistance will be provided to the most vulnerable groups, which will help alleviate some of the hardships faced by the refugees in their daily lives. "
For his part, the Ambassador of Korea to Jordan, Lee Bum Yoon, reiterated in a press statement supported by UNRWA, stressing that "the Republic of Korea will continue to provide the necessary support to UNRWA and its activities."
This contribution reinforces the long-standing partnership between UNRWA and the Republic of Korea, whose previous valuable contributions to UNRWA in Jordan helped to ensure the sustainability of UNRWA´s education and health services for Palestine refugees from Syria in Jordan.
According to UNRWA´s statement, the Republic of Korea had become an UNRWA partner and a steadfast and reliable supporter. Since 2012, Korea has contributed over US $7 million to the agency´s programme budget, emergency appeals and projects.
UNRWA is facing a growing demand for its services because of the increase in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the degree of vulnerability and worsening poverty of their living conditions.
UNRWA is funded almost entirely through voluntary contributions, while financial support has not kept pace with the level of growth in requirements.
As a result, the programme budget of UNRWA, which works to support the delivery of key services, suffers from a significant shortfall.
UNRWA called on all Member States to work collectively and make every possible effort to fully fund the agency´s budget. UNRWA emergency programmes and major projects, which also suffer from large deficits, are funded through separate funding portals.
UNRWA was established as a United Nations agency by resolution of the General Assembly in 1949 and was mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5 million and 400,000 Palestine refugees registered in its five regions of operation. Its mission is to provide assistance to Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, so that they can realize their full potential in the area of human development until a just and lasting solution to their plight is reached. UNRWA services include.
