Norway increases support to UNRWA by NOK 100 million

Historical archive

Published under: Solberg's Government

Publisher: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Press release | Date: 12/04/2019

Norway is providing an additional NOK 100 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to support humanitarian assistance to Palestine refugees affected by the Syria crisis. ‘This funding will be used to meet basic humanitarian needs and will target vulnerable groups, including displaced children who have a right to education, and refugees who are in need of healthcare,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.

Norway support UNRWA's work for the palestine refugees. Here commissioner-general for United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Pierre Krähenbühl. Credit: UNRWA

More than half a million Palestine refugees were living in Syria before the war started. Some of these have fled to Syria’s neighbouring countries, and many others are internally displaced within Syria. Most of them are dependent on humanitarian aid.

‘It is crucial that UNRWA maintains the capacity to deliver basic services – particularly healthcare and education – to Palestine refugees. This is also an important factor for regional stability. Norway will therefore continue to support UNRWA both politically and economically,’ said Ms Eriksen Søreide.

Ms Eriksen Søreide is taking part in an informal ministerial meeting on UNRWA in Stockholm today. Norway will announce a contribution of NOK 100 million to support UNRWA’s humanitarian efforts. This is in addition to the core contribution of NOK 125 million that was provided earlier this year.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eriksen Søreide is taking part in an informal ministerial meeting on UNRWA in Stockholm on 12 April 2019. Credit: MFA

UNRWA provides schooling to more than half a million children and health services to more than 5 million Palestine refugees in Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. UNRWA’s challenging economic circumstances are affecting a large number of people, and the Palestine refugees affected by the Syria conflict are in a particularly vulnerable situation.

Norway has been a significant donor to UNRWA for several years. In 2018, Norway provided a total of NOK 294 million to UNRWA’s work.

The Communiqué from the ministerial meeting: Communiqué at Ministerial Strategic Dialogue on UNRWA on 12 April in Stockholm