11 December 2012
Andalucia, Spain
The Parliament of Andalucía officially recognised the important work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) during its 63 years of operation in the occupied Palestinian territory, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. In an official statement, President Manuel Gracia Navarro highlighted the many activities undertaken by the Agency in support of the five million Palestine refugees it serves today. All three groups of parliament endorsed the document.
In the document, the Parliament acknowledges "the efforts made since the beginning of UNRWA’s mandate to contribute to the development of a decent future and the full enjoyment of human rights for Palestine refugees."
The document also urges the Government of Andalucía and all its institutions to "continue supporting UNRWA's actions in maintaining services for the refugee population, promoting awareness and education for development in Andalucía."
The Parliament agreed with a collective statement urging the Government of Andalucía “to continue supporting the humanitarian work that UNRWA performs with the refugee population, in particular its programme of mother and child healthcare and any other programme of special importance to UNRWA and its target population".
Collaboration between UNRWA and Andalucía
In 2007, UNRWA launched an emergency call for food assistance in response to the progressive deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. The regional government of Andalucía contributed to the call with a donation of EUR 331,217.
In following years, UNRWA’s Spanish National Committee and the Government of Andalucía agreed to collaborate on humanitarian programmes to improve the living conditions of Palestine refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. As part of this agreement, in 2010, 2011 and 2012 the regional government of Andalucía contributed a yearly sum of EUR 1.8 million.
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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.
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, supporting UNRWA’s core activities and 97 per cent reliant on voluntary contributions, has begun each year with a large projected deficit.
UNRWA’s Spanish Comittee works to support UNRWA’s humanitarian programmes and to raise awareness within Spanish society of the situation facing Palestine refugees.
For more information, please contact:
María González
Communication
UNRWA Spanish Committee
Mobile: (+34) 638 879 561
Office: (+34) 917 027 059
mgonzalez@unrwace.org
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