UNRWA is the sole provider of basic services to the 5.9 million Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the occupied Palestinian territory, and thus a key contributor to social and political stability in the region.
“The activities of UNRWA provide last hope and a lifeline to Palestine refugees in difficult socio-economic circumstances that have been exacerbated by several concurrent crises,” said Rein Tammsaar, Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN. “Estonia has also supported the work of UNRWA work through bilateral initiatives, for example in the field of the digitisation of education.”
UNRWA provides education to half a million children, as well as health, sanitation, and social services, including food and cash-based assistance. The organisation employs nearly 30,000 people, a large proportion of whom are Palestinian refugees.
The donation will come from the humanitarian aid budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The European Union, together with EU Member States, remains UNRWA’s top donor, providing €400m annually, which amounts to almost 40 % of UNRWA’s annual budget.
