Madrid
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is grateful to the Galicia Regional Government for its contribution of EUR 10,000 (US$ 13,752) in response to the Agency’s Emergency Appeal for the Gaza Strip.
The prolonged blockade on the Gaza Strip has had a marked impact on residents’ ability to meet even their most simple needs. It is difficult to find work or move freely, and the deterioration of sanitary conditions has led to undernourishment and malnutrition. The proportion of households who are food insecure rose to 57 per cent in 2012 from 44 per cent in 2011.
The support from Galicia will enable the Agency to provide 138 families (around 1,587 people) with a distribution of food products like flour, oil, milk, canned meat, rice and sugar. Providing around 700 calories per person per day, this represents one third of daily calorie needs. Of the recipient families, 46 are considered poor, while the remaining 92 are considered extremely poor. The contribution from the Galicia Regional Government will help the Agency respond to their continuing needs.
Background Information
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, and microfinance.
Financial support to UNRWA has not kept pace with an increased demand for services caused by growing numbers of registered refugees, expanding need, and deepening poverty. As a result, the Agency's General Fund (GF), supporting UNRWA’s core activities and 97 per cent reliant on voluntary contributions, has begun each year with a large projected deficit. Currently the deficit stands at US$ 65 million.
For more information, please contact:
Christopher Gunness
UNRWA Spokesperson
Mobile: +972 (0)54 240 2659
Office: +972 (0)2 589 0267
c.gunness@unrwa.org
Sami Mshasha
UNRWA Arabic Spokesperson
Mobile: +972 (0)54 216 8295
Office: +972 (0)2 589 0724
s.mshasha@unrwa.org