CANADA APPROVES $90M FOR UNRWA

Tue 29 December 2020:

Canada has approved a $90 million humanitarian assistance package for Palestinian refugees through the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The package is intended to be what the Canadian government has described as “part of the path toward peace and prosperity in the Middle East.”

“The Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of International Development, today announced Canada’s continued support of up to $90 million over 3 years for Palestinian refugees,” said a government pre-Christmas press release. “This support will help respond to the rising needs of vulnerable Palestinian refugees in UNRWA’s five areas of operation (the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan).”

The minister pointed out that the needs of Palestinian refugees are “undeniable”, especially during a global pandemic. “They face high rates of poverty, food insecurity and unemployment. Canada’s continued support for UNRWA builds upon the country’s long-standing commitment to Palestinians while also contributing to stability in the region.”

She added that Canada’s funding will also reinforce UNRWA’s ongoing efforts to uphold UN values and humanitarian principles, including neutrality within the agency and its operations. “These efforts are essential to the effective delivery of its work and to Canada’s continued support.”

The humanitarian aid package comes at a critical moment for both Palestinian refugees and UNRWA. In Gaza, refugees have been subjected to the effects of Israel’s crippling siege for 13 years. In Syria, 91 per cent of Palestinian refugee households are said to be living in absolute poverty. In Lebanon, over 89 per cent of Palestinian refugees displaced from Syria are in critical need of sustained humanitarian assistance.

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