FM continues contacts to rally support for UNRWA

AMMAN — Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi on Saturday made a telephone call with his Turkish counterpart Mouloud Gawishoglu to coordinate efforts to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) at the financial and political levels.

The call is part of Jordan’s intensive efforts to address the agency’s financial deficit, which threatens its ability to continue providing vital services to more than five million refugees in the agency’s five areas of operation.

UNRWA’s financial deficit exceeds $217 million and Jordan is coordinating with donor countries to resolve the deficit, especially if Washington insists that no further support will be provided to the agency, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Jordan is working in cooperation with a number of countries and concerned bodies to organise a conference during the General Assembly’s meeting to discuss ways to overcome UNRWA’s financial crisis.

Safadi had already held talks on UNRWA’s financial crisis with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Federica Mogherini, and UNRWA Commissioner General Pierre Krahenbuhl.

He has also discussed efforts to support the agency with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri, Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation Saeb Erekat.

Safadi warned that failure to provide the necessary support to UNRWA violates the rights of more than half a million Palestinian children to education and millions of others to decent living.

Safadi stressed that the protection of UNRWA represents the protection of the refugees’ rights to education, health and relief services, as well as rights to return and compensation in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy.