15 August 2012
Amman, Jordan
The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) has donated USD 500,000 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) emergency food distribution programme in Gaza. The contribution will be used to meet the basic food needs of 28,125 of the most vulnerable families in Gaza, many of whom have lost their livelihoods as a result of the Israeli-imposed blockade.
Mr. Filippo Grandi, UNRWA Commissioner-General, stated that: “UNRWA and Palestine refugees in Gaza are very grateful to OFID for its generous contribution, which will help to mitigate the impact of the chronic poverty. As long as the blockade is not lifted, UNRWA will continue to need support from donors for relief programmes such as food distribution, and Gaza’s dependency on humanitarian aid will not end.”
OFID is a longstanding partner of UNRWA in the area of food security. OFID has also funded job creation programmes and has had long-term co-operation with UNRWA in microfinance. OFID is currently funding the construction of new schools in Nahr el-Bared camp in Lebanon, which is under reconstruction, and scholarships for Palestine refugees in UNRWA’s five fields of operation.
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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, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
For more information, please contact:
Peter Ford
Representative of the UNRWA Commissioner-General
Office: +962 (0) 65 80 8521
p.ford@unrwa.org
Adnan Abu Hasna
UNRWA Media Adviser
Mobile: +970 59 942 8061
Office: +970 8 288 7531
a.abu-hasna@unrwa.org
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