“The EU’s long political and economic commitment to UNRWA is in line with the EU’s other involvement in other parts of the world,” said Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson when she participated in the celebrations for sixty years of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

But Ms Carlsson also called on other countries to share the responsibility for the continued support for the work of the organisation.

Attending the meeting in New York were UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and many other ministers and dignitaries. Ms Carlsson gave an account of the EU view of the organisation and its activities and expressed appreciation to UNRWA Commissioner-General Karen Koning AbuZayd and her staff for their laborious, difficult and sometimes risky work. The organisation undertakes important humanitarian work, which also has a stabilising effect on the region. 
“Respect for international humanitarian law and human rights has been a guiding principle for EU efforts, not only with regard to the conflict between Israel and its neighbours, but also with regard to EU support to UNRWA,” said Ms Carlsson.

In her speech, Ms Carlsson also stated that UNRWA’s financial situation needs reviewing. The organisation is chronically underfinanced. Today, the EU, through its Member States and the European Commission, is the largest donor to UNRWA and accounts for more than 60 per cent of the ordinary budget of the organisation.
“We all share responsibility for supporting UNRWA, both politically and financially. At present, we have a situation in which 15 countries are contributing 90 per cent of the funds for its activities, and this is not sustainable in the long term. The EU urges other donor countries to live up to their commitments and contribute financially to the future work of UNRWA,” said Ms Carlsson.

Facts on UNRWA
Alongside its General Assembly and its councils, the UN consists of various bodies that work in a wide variety of areas from health, the rights of the child, gender equality and combating HIV/AIDS, to science and culture.

UNRWA was founded in 1949 to assist the refugees who fled their homes in connection with the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948. The organisation’s function is to safeguard the humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees. The number of refugees registered by UNRWA has increased from just below one million at the end of the 1940s to 4.5 million today. UNRWA’s programme includes basic schooling, health care, support for the least well-off, decent housing and sanitary conditions.