Chaired for the first time by Minister Emma Bonino, Italian Development Cooperation’s steering committee has approved three important contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The funding is intended for initiatives on behalf of the Palestinian people.
Assistance for refugees
Two of the contributions concern emergency initiatives. The first, worth 1.5 million euros, will go to support the “Assistance to Vulnerable Palestinian Refugees in Northern Lebanon” project, which aims to approve refugees’ health. The second, amounting to 500,000 euros, will fund the “Emergency Food for Vulnerable Palestinian Refugees in Syria” project, focusing on the 53,251 refugees living in the Damascus and Aleppo regions.
Helping the Palestinian territories
The two contributions described above are a response to the humanitarian crisis triggered by the Syrian conflict. To these can be added a third, worth 1 million euros, which will directly benefit the autonomous Palestinian territories.
This third contribution will support the “Adopt a School Initiative: Al Shouka Preparatory Girls and Elementary Co-ed School”, designed to safeguard the right to education in Al Shouka, in the Gaza Strip. Beneficiaries will include students and teaching and non-teaching staff. The school structure too will benefit, both in terms of its overall functioning and in its role as an institutional beacon and resource for the region.
UNRWA has notified the Italian Consulate General in Jerusalem that it has formally accepted the three contributions, and has thanked Italy for providing this vital support for its work in the region.
