Canadian funding will support poor and vulnerable refugees and will come as UNRWA faces the ‘worst ever financial crisis’.
Canada has pledged 90 million Canadian dollars ($ 70m) in support of the DA group for Palestinian refugees, which has been reeling from two years of funding cuts from the United States and other donors.
Karina Gould, Canada’s international development minister, said on Monday that the aid would be extended over three years and would help “meet the rising needs of vulnerable Palestinian refugees” in the West Bank, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
The help comes after the group’s leader warned last month that it was facing the “worst ever financial crisis”.
Recognized as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Southeast (UNRWA), the organization runs schools and provides health services as well as other humanitarian assistance to approximately 5.7 million Palestinians with status refugees.
“The needs of Palestinian refugees are unbelievable, especially at a time of global pandemic: they are facing high levels of poverty, food insecurity and unemployment,” Gould said in a statement, adding. agreed that meeting the needs of Palestinian refugees was “part of the path to peace and prosperity in the Middle East”.
The funding will provide emergency life-saving support to an estimated 465,000 Palestinian refugees in Syria and Lebanon and contribute to meeting the basic education, health and livelihood needs of Palestinian refugees, the statement said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government withdrew aid to UNRWA in 2016 after it was cut four years earlier by its conservative predecessor Stephen Harper.
From 2016-2019, Canada spent 110 million Canadian dollars ($ 85.5m) on support for the group. He also donated 1.5 million Canadian dollars ($ 1.1m) in April to help him deal with the pandemic.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA commissioner-general, said in November that he had run out of money to pay the salaries of his workers across the Middle East, and called for $ 70m 28,000- pay in full for November and December.
Israel has long been pushing for the closure of UNRWA, arguing that it is helping to survive the conflict with the Palestinians.
He criticizes the group’s way of classifying Palestinian refugees as their descendants also deserve the status.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration backed Israel by cutting aid in 2018.
Washington had been donating UNRWA $ 300m a year, about a third of its annual core budget.
US President Joe Biden is expected to resume funding to UNRWA, at least in part.