Safadi, Krahenbuhl discuss 2019 plan to secure funds for UNRWA

AMMAN — Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi and Commissioner General of UNRWA Pierre Krahenbuhl on Thursday discussed ways to garner financial support for the agency, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

Krahenbuhl expressed gratitude for “the exemplary support, solidarity and trust” from the Kingdom.

“You [Jordan] have stood with us every step of the way, in ways that really cannot be described appropriately; the words aren’t sufficient to say my gratitude to you personally”, the commissioner said.

Safadi and Krahenbuhl discussed a mechanism to be adopted by the Kingdom and UNRWA. 

In cooperation with regional and international partners, the mechanism aims to ensure that the agency’s financial needs are met next year and that it is able to maintain its services to 5 million Palestinian refugees.

They agreed to hold a meeting next month to outline a roadmap for the programmes to be launched by the two sides in cooperation with UNRWA’s donors to secure the necessary cash, develop a long-term funding plan, examine programmes for enhancing efficiency and mobilise support to renew the agency’s mandate, which will be put to the vote in 2019.

“The meeting was a continuation of the systematic coordination process initiated by the Kingdom and UNRWA to ensure a steady flow of funds necessary for the agency to perform its important and vital tasks for more than 5 million Palestinian refugees,” Safadi said in press remarks following the meeting.

“You know that His Majesty King Abdullah has placed UNRWA at the top of Jordan’s policy priorities to ensure that the agency is provided with the necessary resources to carry out its duties in accordance with its UN mandate,” he added.

“We started this year with addressing a financial deficit of more than $440 million and through partnership and in cooperation with many of our friends and partners in the region and in the international community, we have managed to reduce this deficit now to less than $20 million,” Safadi noted.

He pointed out the significance of this year’s achievement, which enabled the agency to continue the provision of its services and maintain the education for more than 500,000 refugee students enrolled in UNRWA’s schools, the statement added.

“I have to say, that without this energy, without this strong conviction that you showed and that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan showed throughout the year, we would not have managed — which we now have — to almost overcome the entirety of that shortfall,” Krahenbuhl said.

“We have overcome the challenge of providing allocations for this year, but the challenge still exists for next year,” Safadi added. 

He stressed that UNRWA’s role is vital and cannot be waived until the refugees’ issue is settled within the final status negotiations in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the permanent and inalienable right of return and compensation for Palestine refugees.

“We are one team in this endeavour, which is a necessity, not only to serve the Palestinian refugees, but also to ensure security and stability and give the Palestinians hope that the international community has not abandoned them and their right to live in dignity,” Safadi added.

“It is extraordinary that as we faced the single largest challenge and deficit in the history of this agency, the world responded to our call, the world responded to the campaign ‘Dignity is Priceless’ that we launched in January,” Krahenbuhl noted.