Jordan moves forward to mobilise support for UNRWA — Safadi

AMMAN — The Kingdom is moving forward with mobilising political and financial support for UNRWA, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi stressed on Thursday.

Safadi made the remarks during a meeting with UNRWA Commissioner Genreal Philippe Lazzarini, which discussed means to assist UNRWA and provide sustainable support to the agency to enable it to continue offering its vital services to some 5.7 million Palestinian refugees in its five areas of operation (Jordan, the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon and Syria), according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

The meeting also reviewed the outcomes of the international ministerial conference to support UNRWA that was held under the joint Jordanian-Swedish presidency in November in Brussels and resulted in up to $38 million in direct financial contributions to support the agency.

Safadi renewed the Kingdom’s unaltered stance that the agency must continue its operations until the Palestinian refugee issue is solved, according to international legitimacy resolutions, including Resolution 194 that guarantees their right to return and compensation as part of a comprehensive and fair solution to the Palestinian issue, according to the two-state solution.

The minister stressed that Jordan is continuing to work and coordinate with regional and international partners to provide the necessary support for UNRWA to sustain its vital services to refugees. 

He also warned against the humanitarian, political and security repercussions that will have huge impacts on the region’s security and stability if the agency is unable to offer its services to Palestinian refugees, as a result of lower support. 

Lazzarini praised the continuous Jordanian efforts to mobilise international support for UNRWA and help it cover its financial deficit, stressing the importance of the Kingdom’s role in cooperating with the international community. 

Lazzarini also updated Safadi with the financial deficit of UNRWA in 2020, where they agreed to continue coordination and consultation at the bilateral level and with regional and international partners on means to secure the international support necessary for the agency. 

Jordan and Sweden have organised a series of ministerial meetings in recent years to provide political and financial support for UNRWA, where the Rome conference in 2018 resulted in pledges worth $122 million, while another meeting in June 2020 received a support of $130 million, and the latest meeting in Brussels resulted in direct financial contributions of around $38 million and pledges of $615 million for 2022 and beyond.