Arab League Secretary-General Calls on Donor Countries to Bridge the Funding Gap in UNRWA's Budget

Cairo, Sept 6 (KUNA) -- Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy called on donor countries on Sunday to work to close the funding gap in the budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to ensure the continuity of its services for millions of Palestinian refugees and to safeguard its UN mandate. The Arab League said in a statement that this appeal came during a meeting between Fahmy and UNRWA Acting Commissioner-General Christian Saunders, who is currently visiting Cairo at the League’s invitation to explain the political and financial challenges facing the agency. Fahmy stressed the pivotal role played by UNRWA in its five areas of operation, emphasizing that there is no alternative to it in providing health and education services to millions of Palestinian refugees. He affirmed the necessity of countering efforts aimed at undermining UNRWA’s role in the occupied Palestinian territory and casting doubt on its humanitarian mandate, noting that such attempts seek to liquidate the refugee issue and deprive Palestinians of their right to access services. He warned that a widening funding gap for UNRWA would lead to a reduction in the services it provides to Palestinian refugees, reiterating the need to preserve the agency’s mandate issued by a UN resolution in 1949. For his part, the Acting Commissioner-General of UNRWA provided an overview during the meeting of the key political and financial challenges facing the agency and their impact on its capacity to continue delivering its services. Saunders is expected to address the 166th session of the Arab League Council of Foreign Ministers, scheduled to be held tomorrow, Monday. (End) MM/NS