The Government of India has released the first tranche of $2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This contribution is part of India’s annual pledge of $5 million for the year 2024-2025.
Dr. Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, Charge d’Affaires a.i. at the Embassy of Palestine, expressed gratitude towards the Indian Government. “We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the Indian Government for their support,” he said. “This assistance is an important step to support and strengthen the role of UNRWA in the face of attempts to undermine its existence by the Israeli government.”
India’s support for UNRWA was also highlighted during a recent UNRWA conference in New York, where India pledged to provide medicines upon request in addition to financial assistance.
Dr. Abu Jazer emphasized the importance of this support amidst the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, which has created a critical situation. “About 2.2 million Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip, with 66% being refugees. The recent aggression has displaced about 2 million people,” he stated.
UNRWA, which serves over 6 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, is facing vital challenges. Dr. Abu Jazer urged India to leverage its international relationships to help preserve and strengthen UNRWA’s role.
“We hope India will work to preserve UNRWA and strengthen its status and role, ensuring that Israeli attempts to replace it with other institutions will fail,” he added.
UNRWA’s services are crucial not only for providing vital services but also for preserving the rights and hopes of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes.
“The existence of UNRWA is linked to the preservation of their rights as refugees, especially their hope to return to their homes from which they or their ancestors were expelled during the Nakba,” Dr. Abu Jazer concluded.