22 countries pledge $100m to UNRWA budget

UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said 22 UN member states pledged $100 million to its budget while others are awaiting parliamentary approvals before donating, the Safa news agency reported yesterday.

In a statement, UNRWA said that the pledged money is to cover the major needs of the organization and to guarantee retention of basic services such as education and healthcare services.

Stressing that this would happen if the pledges were fulfilled.

UNRWA expects to face a deficit of $81 million this year, which is lower than last year’s shortfall thanks to strict monitoring rules, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy High Commissioner of the UNRWA Sandra Mitchel said that the international organisation is facing an “unprecedented financial deficit”.