Norway has responded to the UN’s request for more money for the UN Relief Society for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), giving NOK 125 million to the organisation.
The UN asked donors to assist more than they already had as a result of the US’s recent decision to hold back half of its contribution ($65 million) of core support to UNRWA.
Foreign Minister, Ine Eriksen Søreide, recently had a conversation with UNRWA’s chairman, Pierre Krähenbühl, and funding for the organisation was also the subject of government talks in the Middle East and US earlier this month.
‘I am very concerned about the humanitarian consequences of UNRWA’s under-financing. Norway has today paid our regular core contribution of NOK 125 million, and I urge other donors to pay their contributions to UNRWA as quickly as possible, she said in a press release on Tuesday.
She also said she’s pleased that the USA have decided to pay 60 million dollars. When President Donald Trump first mentioned that the US would hold back support to the organisation, it was unclear how much of the support it would be.
‘UNRWA is making a very important contribution to Palestinian refugees, but the
organisation is also very important for the stability of the region. We closely follow the situation, and are in close contact with UNRWA and other donors’, said Søreide.
Norway is a significant donor to UNRWA. Norway will contribute NOK 125 million in core support to the organisation in 2018, in addition to humanitarian contributions and project support. In 2017, such additional contributions amounted to more than NOK 100 million.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
UNRWA selv er en hoved årsak som hindre en fredelig løsning til konflikten. http://www.facebook.com/UNRWA.dismantled/posts/753808661486850