ReliefWeb

29 January 2013

Gaza

The Government of Azerbaijan has donated USD 100,000 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Azerbaijan’s first contribution of the year will go towards funding the Agency’s regular programming in the Gaza Strip. The money will be used to improve the living conditions of the 1.2 million Palestine refugees living there, strengthening UNRWA’s regular education, health, and relief programming.

Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan Ambassador Agshin Mehdiyev met with Richard Wright, the director of UNRWA in New York, earlier this month.

Accepting the donation, Mr. Wright expressed his gratitude to the Government of Azerbaijan on behalf of the Agency, saying: “UNRWA is very grateful to the Government of Azerbaijan for its contribution to the Agency. New donors such as Azerbaijan—particularly during a time of global financial difficulties—can have an impact on the Agency’s ability to continue its critically important work for Palestine refugees in the occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.”

Ambassador Mehdiyev expressed his Government’s support for UNRWA’s work, focusing especially on the Agency’s operations in Gaza.

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 USD 68 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