On 13 March, Minister-president Bourgeois received UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl at the Ererra House in Brussels. They signed the new agreement between Flanders and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for the period 2019 - 2021.
For the third time a multi-year partnership agreement between Flanders and UNRWA is signed. The Government of Flanders has made 479,000 euros available for this new agreement. The Minister-president grants an extra 100.000 euros for UNRWA Emergency Appeal Syria. The war in Syria is relentlessly harsh for the citizens, including numerous Palestinian refugees.
Minister-president Bourgeois: “Our renewed partnership is a clear recognition of the crucial difference UNRWA makes to the lives of vulnerable Palestine refugees and for stability in the Middle East. It is of utmost importance to invest in education to avoid a lost generation For Palestine refugee children, this means the possibility to keep hoping and to build their future; but it also means fighting radicalization and is, therefore, an investment in our own security. Given this global interconnectedness, multilateral cooperation is the only option."
Commissioner General Krähenbühl praised Flanders as a reliable donor who has contributed more than 3 million euros over the past 15 years to improve the quality of life of Palestine refugees.
UNRWA Commissioner General Krähenbühl: “UNRWA is proud to partner with the Government of Flanders in addressing the needs of Palestine refugees, in particular through the provision of education services, which are so crucial to preserving hope and opportunities for 532,000 girls and boys in our 715 schools. … I also thank Flanders for the provision of EUR 100,000 towards our 2019 Syria Regional Crisis Appeal at this critical time. This additional support,…, will help UNRWA provide vital life-saving assistance to Palestine refugees in this war-ravaged country until the conflict ends. Both contributions send an important message of solidarity to Palestine refugees. "