JORDAN’S QUEEN PRAISES UN’S VITAL LIFELINE FOR GAZA

JORDAN'S QUEEN PRAISES UN'S VITAL LIFELINE FOR GAZA
New York, Feb 17 2009 1:10PM
Queen Rania of Jordan today urged all donors to honour their pledges to the United Nations agency responsible for helping millions of Palestinians amid warnings that a shortfall could force it to stop paying thousands of staff such as teachers and doctors.

Saying she could not imagine how the people of Gaza would have survived the recent Israeli military offensive without the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/news/releases/pr-2009/jor_17feb09.html">UNRWA), the Queen told an emergency session of the Agency's Advisory Commission in Amman, Jordan, that a halt to payments was "unthinkable." The current shortfall in UNRWA's General Fund is $52 million.

The Agency had offered the people of Gaza a "glimmer of hope" during and after the war, she said, describing it as a "teacher, doctor and food provider" which worked with "incredible resourcefulness" to offer a lifeline to the people of Gaza.

Queen Rania paid tribute to Agency staff, calling them "real heroes" who had worked with "remarkable bravery and dedication," adding that it was her ambition following the conflict to go to Gaza "and shake each and every UNRWA staff member by the hand."

UNRWA, which tends to the needs of 900,000 Palestinian refugees in the Strip, has already unveiled a $345 million "Quick Recovery Plan" for Gaza, which has so far received nearly $145 million in confirmed pledges.

The European Commission today announced an additional 41 million euro contribution to the Agency.

"Support for our General Fund has never been so important in light of our human development and relief work in the wake of the Gaza conflict," UNRWA Commissioner General Karen AbuZayd told the meeting. "These funds will contribute towards UNRWA's Social Safety Net Programme."
Feb 17 2009 1:10PM
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