Today, Friday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced that Italy has donated 6.8 million euros ($7.98 million) in support of the agency´s core programmes.
"This support from Italy will have a direct positive impact on the well-being of some of the most vulnerable people in the Middle East," UNRWA said in a statement. It quoted the Italian Consul General in occupied Jerusalem, Giuseppe Fidel, that "this donation reflects the firm commitment of Italy to support UNRWA in providing health, education and social services to Palestinian refugees in the Middle East." He praised UNRWA´s efforts in providing emergency support to the Palestinians most affected by the latest round of resumption of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, saying: "It shows once again how important UNRWA´s presence on the ground is to reach the most needy." In turn, UNRWA´s Acting Director of Partnerships, Marc Lassouaoui, expressed his thanks for this donation, saying: “We are very grateful to the people and the government of Italy for this generous and timely donation, while UNRWA is operating in the midst of difficult financial conditions exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. And the recent dramatic hostilities in the occupied Palestinian territories. " "This timely donation will help UNRWA to continue providing basic services to Palestine refugees in the region, including education, health care, relief and social services," he added. He pointed out that the Italian government has been a long-term supporter and strategic partner of UNRWA, noting that in 2020, Italy donated more than 15 million euros, which played a crucial role at a time when UNRWA faced an existential crisis. On May 10, the Gaza Strip was subjected to a major aggression that lasted 11 days, during which 255 Palestinians, most of them children, women and the elderly, were killed, and more than 1,600 others were injured. According to the Government Information Office in Gaza, 1,447 housing units in Gaza were completely demolished as a result of the Israeli bombing, along with another 13,000 that were partially damaged to varying degrees. According to the government report, the occupation army completely demolished 205 houses, apartments, and residential towers, and the headquarters of 33 media institutions, in addition to damaging other institutions, offices, and associations. The report stated that 75 government headquarters and public facilities were exposed to Israeli shelling, which varied between service facilities and security and police headquarters. In addition, 68 schools, health facilities, and a primary care clinic were severely and partially damaged by heavy bombardment in their vicinity, while 490 agricultural facilities including animal farms, agricultural pools, wells and irrigation networks were damaged. It is noteworthy that the "UNRWA" provides life-saving services to about 5.6 million Palestine refugees registered with the agency in its fields of operations that include Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Its services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection and microfinance.
