Attachments
30 November 2023
AMMAN,
The Government of Germany has provided a generous additional contribution of EUR 25 million for life-saving food assistance in the Gaza Strip as part of the Updated UNRWA Flash Appeal for the occupied Palestinian Territory. This is in addition to Germany’s overall contribution of EUR 56 million for food assistance to Gaza in 2023 as part of the Emergency Appeal for the occupied Palestinian Territory.
“Germany recognizes UNRWA’s essential role in providing vital food support to the people of Gaza with its strong presence on the ground. Germany is committed to continuing its humanitarian partnership with UNRWA,” said Deike Potzel, German Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues.
The overwhelming majority of the population in Gaza lacks the capacity to cook due to conditions in overcrowded shelters and the lack of cooking gas, water shortages and other issues. As part of UNRWA’s Flash Appeal, the Agency plans to provide ready-to-eat meals, including canned and high energy food, for up to 1.6 million people, including Palestine Refugees and non-refugees, in the Gaza Strip.
“This tragic war is causing unprecedented human suffering throughout the Gaza Strip. Germany’s generous contribution is exemplary and a testament to its steadfast support for UNRWA and the people in Gaza. This contribution enables us to sustain and expand humanitarian assistance across Gaza to reach families that are currently deprived of the most basic necessities of life,” said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.
UNRWA encourages other donors to step up their financial support for both the needs outlined in the Updated Flash Appeal, as well as through the funding of UNRWA’s programme budget, which currently stands at a deficit of $US 80 million for 2023.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- Germany has been a strong ally of UNRWA since 1952 and in 2023 constitutes the Agency's second largest donor globally. With this new contribution, Germany has provided up to EUR 157 million to the UNRWA programme budget, the Emergency Appeals and projects this year.
- The German Federal Foreign Office’s 2023 support to UNRWA for the Gaza Strip alone adds up to EUR 81 million. With these funds, UNRWA was able to reach approximately 1.2 million Palestine Refugees in Gaza with food.
- There are currently more than one million internally displaced people sheltering in UNRWA schools and premises throughout the Gaza Strip; on average, there are 9,000 people per shelter designed for up to 2,000.
Background Information:
UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.
UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.
UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
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