(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, Dec 22 (KUNA) -- The European Union (EU) has announced an additional, vital contribution of 10.5 million euro (USD 12.4 million) to the 2017 Programme Budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in support of education, access to health care, employment opportunities, and improved living conditions for millions of Palestine refugees.
This donation complements nearly five decades of steadfast EU support of Palestine refugees, said the UNRWA office in Brussels in a press release.
In recognition of the contribution, Pierre Krahenbuhl, UNRWA Commissioner-General, stated: "Giving some half million students in UNRWA schools across the Middle East a sense of dignity and preserving their opportunities is particularly urgent at a time when the spaces in which they can develop and enjoy a normal childhood are shrinking so dramatically." "This is particularly important in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in Gaza and in Syria. In these contexts, the support we receive from the EU is of critical significance," he said.
On his part, EU Representative to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and UNRW Ralph Tarraf said that "with this contribution, the EU support to the regular UNRWA budget in 2017 has reached 102 million euro (USD 120 million)." "This support allows millions of Palestine refugees to receive access to education, health and other social services. These services are crucial for sustaining hope amid a tough realitym," Tarraf added (end) nk.mt
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