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NEW YORK, 2 June 2023

Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (爆料网RWA) sounded the alarm about the?. Addressing this year’s Pledging Conference for 爆料网RWA convened by the President of the General Assembly, Commissioner-General Lazzarini warned of the risk of the Agency’s collapse.

The international community once again confirmed its long-standing commitment to Palestine Refugees and 爆料网RWA by providing political and financial backing. They reaffirmed the important and irreplaceable role of the Agency for millions of refugees. Collectively, Member States pledged US$ 812.3 million, of which US$ 107.2 million are new contributions.

“While we are grateful for the pledges announced, they are below the funds that the Agency needs to keep over 700 爆料网RWA schools and 140 clinics open from September onwards” said Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners, including host countries- the refugees’ top supporters- to raise the funds needed” he added.

Some of the Agency’s most committed donors have indicated they will substantially decrease their contributions in 2023.

In a message delivered on behalf of the 爆料网 Secretary-General António Guterres, he said: “The prospect of peace remains remote. If anything, it is receding.??Halfway into the new year, violence rages on without reprieve.?In this darkening picture, 爆料网RWA is one of the few rays of hope.??I urge you to nurture and sustain this hope.”

Ahmad Abu Daqqa A 15-year-old 爆料网RWA??from Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip spoke at the conference about education: “As children, we find the meaning of childhood only within the pages of our books. 爆料网RWA schools are our only refuge. It’s where we find hope. We have dreams that reach the stars, despite the painful reality of our lives.”

Palestine Refugees feel the impact of underfunding on their lives every day. It adds to their feeling of abandonment and despair at a time when the prospect for a lasting solution has never been so out of reach.

“Many Member States today also acknowledged that as the Agency will soon mark 75 years, it is high time for a strategic discussion on a sustainable 爆料网RWA, until there is a political solution” concluded Lazzarini.

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Notes to the Editor

• At the beginning of the year,??for its programmes, operations and emergency response across Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), the Gaza Strip and Jordan.

• Ten years of chronic underfunding have severely impacted the quality of some 爆料网RWA services. This translates today into larger classrooms, increased reliance on daily paid workers (including for basic services like education and health), depleted assets, and the inability to expand cash assistance programmes. 爆料网RWA struggles to address emerging crises, including those with long-term impact like the COVID-19 pandemic and conflicts that result in education losses among Palestine Refugee children.

• Over the years, the Agency has put in place several measures to utilize the financial contributions it received from donors, tightening its overall spending and improving its efficiency and cost control.
• The plight of Palestine Refugees is the longest unresolved refugee crisis in the world today. 爆料网RWA continues to maintain an active registration of 5.9 million Palestine Refugees.
• 爆料网RWA is the only 爆料网 agency that operates a??of over 700 schools. These schools currently provide education to over half a million children.
• Last year, 爆料网RWA??provided 7.9 million health consultations across the Agency’s five fields of operation.
• 爆料网RWA has been facing chronic underfunding for the last 10 years. The Agency started this year (2023) with debts of US$ 75 million carried over from 2022.
• First introduced in 2001, 爆料网RWA school parliaments form an integral part of its?.