Written question asked by Baroness Tonge (Non-affiliated) on Tuesday, 17 November 2020, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 1 December 2020. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Thursday, 26 November 2020 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

UNRWA: Finance

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, in response to the statement by the Commissioner-General for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East on 9 November about that Agency's financial challenges.

Answer: 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.

Secondary information