jordan pulse -
Jordan warned of the dangerous repercussions resulting from not meeting the needs of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and not enabling it to implement its mandate, and stressed the agency's critical role.
And a conference began in New York on Friday for UNRWA donors, which “exhausted its ability to absorb funding shortfalls over a decade of austerity.” The agency said in a report that UNRWA had received 33 percent of its financial requirements in 2023, and still needed $1.174 billion.
Jordan's representative to the United Nations, Mahmoud Al-Hamoud, said during the conference that Jordan affirms that the Palestinian refugee issue will remain alive, and that UNRWA's role is pivotal and indispensable, especially in light of the absence of a political horizon and the exacerbation of the complex economic challenges facing the Palestinian people and refugees.
Al-Hamoud added: We warn of the serious repercussions resulting from the failure to meet the agency's financial needs and its inability to implement its mandate, and the dire effects of this on the humanitarian conditions of the refugees and on the security and stability of the region as a whole.
He believed that UNRWA's support is support for the rights of refugees, especially their right to a decent life, and affirmed Jordan's continuation in coordination and work with regional and international partners to mobilize political and financial support for UNRWA to enable it to continue to perform its tasks in accordance with its UN mandate.
Al-Hamoud called for providing the necessary support to the Agency in light of the large and unprecedented financial deficit that UNRWA suffers from, and stressed the urgent need to deal with this deficit immediately and systematically in order to enable the Agency to provide its vital basic services, the most important of which are education and health care provided to about 6 million Palestinian refugees.
Al-Hamoud also called for the importance of developing a comprehensive and integrated policy that would ensure the sustainable provision of the Agency's work programs in order to enable it to support its vital services.
He stressed the need to work on the principle of burden-bearing partnership and develop policies, strategies and a predictable budget through a multi-year funding plan so that the Agency can cover its program budgets.
Al-Hamoud rejected any change in the agency's mandate and powers, and warned of the consequences of the continued chronic financial deficit and the pressing challenges that the agency goes through annually.
Al-Hamoud said: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in its capacity as the largest supporter of the Agency and the Palestinian refugees, will continue to devote most and all of its capabilities to work with partners and with the Agency to mobilize the necessary support to ensure the continuation of its effective work.