Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to provide emergency funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in light of the call by its Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 9 November for humanitarian assistance.
The UK is a long-term supporter of the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), and we recognise UNRWA's unique mandate from the UN General Assembly to protect and provide protection and core services to Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. We are providing £51 million to UNRWA in 2020/2021. Reports that UNRWA may not be able to pay the salaries of its staff in full are very worrying. To that end, the UK is working with UNRWA and other donors to improve UNRWA's financial viability. This includes broadening UNRWA's donor base, encouraging the full disbursement of pledges and support through multi-year funding.