UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th June, 2019) International donors have pledged more than $110 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees during a donors conference at UN headquarters, UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl said on Tuesday.
"We have announcements of just over 110 million US Dollars which is very important in regards to our overall funding requirements of this year of $1.2 billion," Krahenbuhl said after the conference.
In May, UNRWA appealed for $1.2 billion in funds for the year 2019, with Krahenbuhl warning that the agency was experiencing a severe funding shortfall that could force it to halt its assistance in Gaza until mid-June.
At Tuesday's donors' conference, Krahenbuhl said the agency was able to mobilize the money needed to cover its operations from January 1 through May 31.
In June, UNRWA entered deficit figures, and the UN donors conference was vital to overcoming the shortfall and avoiding disruptions to services over the next three to four months, he added.
"You can expect us to be back on the margins of the General Assembly in September to seek further mobilizations," Krahenbuhl said.
The most extensive contributions to UNRWA were made by the government of the United Kingdom and by the European Union, he said. Several other countries, particularly Arab states, have signaled their commitment to providing further support to the agency in the coming days and weeks, he said.
Commenting on the US-led Bahrain pledging forum taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday in the capital of Bahrain, Krahenbuhl welcomed any humanitarian action in support of Palestinian refugees.
"From our experience, you have other events taking place in parallel, and if any of these events would lead to improvements in terms of peace or economic conditions, that is welcomed, there is no competition between these events," he said.
Last year, US President Donald Trump's administration announced that it had cut around $200 million in aid to the Palestinians. In September, Washington halted another $300 million in funding for UNRWA. The UN agency has experienced severe budget shortfalls since the US decision to stop giving it funds.
