(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) NEW YORK, Nov 13 (KUNA) -- Kuwait has reiterated keenness to support UN Palestinian refugees agency's educational, medical and humanitarian operations through financial contribution to its budget.
Kuwait contributed USD 50 million to UNRWA this year in a bid to address shortage of funding following US decision to cease financing to the UN agency, Mishari Al-Muzaini, First Secretary at Kuwait's Permanent Mission to the UN, told UN General Assembly's Fourth Committee that was discussing UNRWA on Monday night.
He called on the international community to continue financial contributions to UNRWA to enable it continue services to the Palestinian refugees.
Al-Muzaini, who thanked UNRWA workers for providing services in unsafe environments, said the UN agency has been offering help for over five million Palestinian refugees for around 70 years UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is providing assistance and protection to Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
"I would like to reaffirm my country's historic and firm support of humanitarian causes, which is a major pillar of Kuwait's foreign policy, and reiterate our support to the UN agency specially in this critical time," said Al-Muzaini.
UNRWA, he added, "is suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis ... which might halt its programs and special services provided for the Palestinian refugees in occupied territories and host nations, if we fail as an international community to seriously deal with it ... ." Al-Muzaini cited a report by UNRWA Commissioner who highlighted suffering of the Palestinian refugees as a result of the Israeli occupation.
"My country reiterates its call upon the international community to act immediately and seriously to end this suffering, and to force Israel, the occupying power, to implement relevant UN resolutions," he said.
Israel, said Al-Muzaini, should respect the international law and the international law of human rights, lift the siege on Gaza Strip and end stalemate in peace process to achieve a just solution for the Palestinian cause in line with UN resolutions, land-for-peace principle and the 2002 Arab peace initiative.
Israel, he added, should also withdrew from occupied Palestinian, Syria and Lebanese lands to the July 4 1967 borders with the objective of establishing the independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. (end) asf.bs
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