GAZA, 12 February 2021 (TON): UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) for Palestine Refugees has appealed to the international community for a $1.5 billion contribution this year.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the UN body said that the fund “is for essential services, emergency appeals and priority projects for registered Palestine refugees in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria”,  media reported.

The UN agency said, that of the required $1.5 billion, $806 million “is needed for core services, such as education, health, relief, and social services, protection and infrastructure, and camp improvement”.

“To respond to the hardship caused by the Syrian conflict to Palestine refugees in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon, UNRWA is seeking $318 million.

Both emergency appeals include adjustments that UNRWA made to its services to prevent the spread of the viral disease among Palestinian refugees and address its impact, it added.

“Approximately $170 million are needed for priority projects to repair or build UNRWA facilities and strengthen or improve core services,” it added further.

The UNRWA provides life-saving services to about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees in its five fields of operation that include Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. However, as it is already known that the global agency is experiencing a serious financial crisis due to a shortage of donations caused because of the decreasing economies previously. The crisis began after the U.S. cut $360 million from the agency in 2018.