The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) signed an agreement today under which the State of Qatar will contribute $20.7 million to support the access of Palestine refugees to basic services in Syria. With this contribution, the total support provided by QFFD to UNRWA during the year 2019 amounts to $40 million.
The agreement was signed by Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Kuwari, Director General of QFFD, and Acting UNRWA Commissioner-General Christian Saunders.
The donation will directly contribute to the Agency’s education program, namely by supporting basic education services for students and vocational and technical education and training courses for young Palestine refugee men and women. It will also support the provision of basic health services to 445,000 Palestine refugees in Syria, according to an UNRWA press release.
“The State of Qatar and the Qatar Fund for Development are demonstrating once again their commitment to supporting Palestine refugees,” said Saunders. “This generous donation to the UNRWA operations and activities in Syria comes at a time of intense financial challenge for the Agency. We are truly grateful for this additional funding and look forward to further expanding the cooperation between UNRWA, the QFFD and the State of Qatar in 2020 and beyond.”
In 2018, Qatar contributed $50 million, making it one of the Agency’s top 10 donors last year. Qatar’s timely contribution allowed the Agency to open its schools on time for some 530,000 boys and girls in 711 UNRWA schools.
“This agreement is an affirmation of the steadfast and firm position of the State of Qatar regarding the Palestinian issue and the State of Qatar’s special interest in the education and health sector, believing in their importance and their role in building a decent life for brothers in Palestine. Furthermore, the leadership of the State of Qatar has exerted significant efforts in development and humanitarian aid sectors in order to serve the Palestinian people in a sustainable manner,” said Al-Kuwari.
“We support the pivotal role played by UNRWA and we are confident that UNRWA will use these resources in the optimally,” he added.
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