Gaza _ Palestine News Network
The Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Pierre Krähenbühl said on Tuesday that UNRWA had succeeded in overcoming its biggest deficit in its history after the United States stopped its support for the general budget by some $300 million.
Krähenbühl said at a press conference in Gaza that the deficit had been reduced from 446 million dollars to only $21 million. There was satisfaction with the efforts made in that regard, stressing the need to work to prevent fiscal deficits in the 2019 budget.
This success in reducing the budget was seen as historic. Thanks to the countries of the European Union, the Gulf States, Asia and all those who have contributed to the big deficit.
"This deficit was not without a price," he said. A number of employees in Gaza and the West Bank were affected by the financial crisis. " He noted that 116 staff members of the emergency programme had lost their jobs in Gaza.
"That´s a pity, and we didn´t want it to happen. I know what job loss means for those... ´ Cause I know it´s hard to find the alternative. Noting that these actions were taken in difficult times after America cut back their support, which prompted UNRWA to take those measures to protect the services it provides so that it succeeded in opening the schools on time in the operations of all five regions, which applied to open clinics and continue to provide food To more than a million refugees in Gaza alone.
He was happy to overcome the crisis and protect most of the jobs and services. Again thanked the donors and partners who maintained and continued those services.
He promised to continue to work in 2019 in order to continue to raise donations, inject all energies and not surrender in order to achieve the goals of continuing education and all services for the refugees. He noted that donors around the world had shown interest in the issue of Palestinian refugees during his visits, but that there were no guarantees for the successful mobilization of funds.
"We have priorities for rebuilding these homes, communicating with donors, and we do not know whether we will succeed, but we are doing our best to achieve that," he said, addressing the issue of destroyed homeowners who returned to school this morning to protest against the lack of a rent allowance.
He noted that the right of every human being to demonstrate peacefully was respected. They called on the homeowners of the families not to hinder the services provided to the refugees. "We have done a lot to keep these schools open," he added. Does it make sense to disable it now ".
Asked about the Israeli and US actions against UNRWA, he said, "the mandate of UNRWA is protected by the United Nations General Assembly and not by a decision of one or more countries.
