São Paulo – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) called on Friday (15) for US$ 75 million so it may continue providing basic services to around 5 million Palestinians assisted by the organisation. To UN Radio, the general commissioner of the UNRWA, Filippo Grandi, stated that without these funds it is not possible to operate schools and hospitals, for example. "The operation of schools and clinics depends on money. Without it, children don’t get to school. It is very practical,” he said.
Despite having said that any country may help the UNRWA, Grandi appealed to donations from developing countries, especially Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. In December 2011, Brazil announced that it would donate US$ 7.5 million. Early this year, the United States agreed to transfer US$ 55 million to the UNRWA.
Even these donations have not been enough to help the institution. In January, the UNRWA deputy commissioner, Margo Ellis, said that another US$ 300 million are needed to promote food safety, to generate jobs, guarantee access to water and to basic sanitation, education, health and housing services. UNRWA also offers legal assistance to refugees and builds schools for children. The refugees are in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jordan.
According to Grandi, the institution’s programmes help in the development of 500,000 children. "The donors know that children out of school are an element for instability. Now and in future, children in school will not guarantee peace, but they may certainly contribute,” he said.
*Translated by Mark Ament
