Jordan foreign ministry lauds Kuwait’s ‘support’ to UNRWA
AMMAN, Oct 17, (KUNA): Jordan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs on Thursday Ayman Al-Safadi commended Kuwait’s backing to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to help it provide basic services to Palestinians.
A ministry statement quoted Al-Safadi as lauding Kuwait and the UK’s declaration to offer $23 million as an urgent additional financial support to the UNRWA to help it continue providing basic services in its five areas.
Al-Safadi and his Swedish counterpart Ann Linde chaired the third strategic dialogue via video conference to mobilize support to the UNRWA so as to aid the Palestinian refugees.
The meeting was held in participation of Kuwait to discuss common efforts made to back the agency and find practical methods that ensure facing financial challenges.
Necessity
Al-Safadi stressed the necessity of providing continued services by the UNRWA until reaching a fair and permanent solution to the issue of the Palestinian refugees in line with the international law and relevant UN resolutions mainly 194 as well as a comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on a two-state solution.
Al-Safadi warned against the humanitarian, political and security repercussions that would result from the Agencys inability to assume its UN mandate and provide its vital services to the Palestinian refugees in the five areas.
He pointed that depriving millions of refugees of their right to education, health and relief will deepen the refugees humanitarian suffering.
Kuwaits Foreign Minister and Acting Defense Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah chaired the Kuwaiti delegation to the dialogue conference co-held upon a common call by Jordan and Sweden.
The conference included foreign ministers of Kuwait, Norway and Japan, as well as some senior officials from France, the UK and Germany and others.
“Kuwait is committed to the protection of Palestinian refugees to ensure their access to essential services,” Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah told a virtual United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) pledging conference, co-chaired by Sweden and Jordan.
The minister, who was heading Kuwaits delegation to the talks on videolink, said his country supported the “path of institutional reform” the UN agency has pursued, praising UNRWA’s determination to remain active and its commitment to its goals.
Describing UNRWA as a “pillar of stability” in the region, the Kuwaiti foreign minister said it was imperative the agency is able to plug funding gaps needed to keep operating persistently.
UNRWA provides essential services to Palestinian refugees across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza.
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The European Union Thursday reaffirmed it “continued strong and predictable support to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) both politically and financially.”
“This support is all the more important in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic,” EU High Representative Josep Borrell told a videoconference today in the third Ministerial Strategic Dialogue on UNRWA co-organised by the Swedish and Jordanian Foreign Ministers.
The EU and its Member States are collectively the largest contributor to UNRWA’s budget, providing about 60% of the funding. The EU will continue to do its utmost to reach out to existing and potential new donors and welcomes the initiative of Jordan and Sweden to organise an international conference at the beginning of 2021, said the EU foreign policy chief.
He further stressed that the work of UNRWA remains crucial for all Palestinian refugees, their future, as well as for the viability of the two-state solution, and for the stability and security of the region.