Spain provides €2 million support for Palestinians

By Gulsen Topcu

GAZA (AA) – The Spanish government has supported the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees with €2 million ($2.35 million), a UN agency said Monday.

According to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), "the Spanish government, through the Spanish International Cooperation Agency, has provided €2 million to be used in UNRWA's activities in the areas of protection, health, aid and social services".

The aid will be used for more than 5.3 million Palestinian migrants and for the education of over 500,000 children in UNRWA’s activity regions, it said in the statement.

Last week, the agency urged its partners and donors to maintain their support “until a just and lasting solution [to the Israel-Palestine dispute] has been found”.

According to data from UNRWA, the Spanish government has provided a total of €94.4 million ($111 million) to the agency since 2007.

UNRWA, which in recent years has struggled with chronic funding shortfalls, provides education and health services to more than 5 million Palestinian refugees.

*Sena Guler contributed to this story from Ankara