UN Palestinian refugee agency faces worsening financial plight amid Ukraine-Russia crisis: official

GAZA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is facing a worsening financial plight amid the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, a senior official said on Sunday.

Media advisor for UNRWA in Gaza Adnan Abu Hasna told Xinhua that some donor countries asked the UN agency "not to expect even half of the donations and grants they provided to UNRWA in 2021," while "others informed they would postpone the date of their donations."

"This coincides with the global rise in food, fuel and transportation costs," he noted.

"UNRWA is making great efforts with many European countries to ensure that the services provided to the agency are not affected, and to emphasize the importance of these services until a solution to the Palestinian refugee issue is found," the UN official added.

The UNRWA, which was established as a humanitarian agency in 1949, is fully funded through voluntary contributions and grants from donor countries.

The agency was mandated to provide assistance and protection for about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees registered in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

The UNRWA services for Palestinian refugees involve education, health care, relief, infrastructure, camp improvement, protection and microfinance.

In January, the UNRWA announced that it needs 1.6 billion U.S. dollars from the international community in 2022 to cover expenses and provide services and humanitarian development programs for Palestinian refugees.