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AMMAN — Jordan and Sweden are strong supporters of the mission of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) and Syrian refugees, according to the agency.
“The two governments are working on finding ways to have sources of sustainable funding for UNRWA, so that the agency overcomes its annual funding gap,” UNRWA told The Jordan Times in an e-mail.
UNRWA is funded by voluntary contributions, therefore finding stable sources of funds is essential, according to UNRWA, adding that its services encompass healthcare, education and social protection.
Further, the agency noted that it runs schools and health centres, provides emergency cash and health assistance to the most vulnerable, which all need “a stable annual budget that allows adequate planning”.
“Palestine refugees are often amongst the most vulnerable communities in the region, whereas some rely almost entirely on UNRWA,” UNRWA added.
The agency receives almost universal support at the General Assembly, where UN member-states vote for its mandate on a three-year basis, an UNRWA statement said.
The agency said that this is a mandate renewal year, and “UNRWA expects to receive overwhelming support, which is indicative of the political support it gets.”
The agency also stressed the importance of matching the political support with financial resources to enable the services to continue.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Tuesday met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York on the sidelines of the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), during which they discussed Jordan’s and UN’s common will to mobilise necessary support to the UNRWA and Syrian refugees.
The two sides also reviewed preparations for the ministerial conference that Jordan and Sweden are set to organise next September, on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly, to rally support for UNRWA.
Safadi also met with his Swedish counterpart Ann Linde, and stressed the importance of supporting UNRWA.
Jordan and Sweden have worked together since 2018 to mobilise financial and political support for UNRWA, organising three international meetings to help the agency bridge its financial deficit and continue to provide its vital services to Palestinian refugees in accordance with its UN mandate.
On this topic, the agency hopes that the strategic meeting at the ministerial level would gather sustainable financial support that would enable it conduct its tasks to and serve about 5.7 million Palestinian refugees residing in its five operation areas.
