The Palestinian Embassy expressed gratitude to India on Tuesday, July 16, as it released the first tranche of USD 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) as a part of its annual contribution of USD 5 million for the year 2024–2025.
The embassy released a statement and said, “We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the Indian Government for releasing the first tranche of USD 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East UNRWA as a part of its annual contribution of USD 5 million for the years 2024-2025.”
India pledged support to UNRWA during a conference held in New York and announced that in addition to financial assistance, New Delhi will provide medicines to UNRWA upon request.
This Indian assistance and this pledge are an important step to support and strengthen the role of UNRWA in the face of attempts to target its role and existence by the Israeli government.
About 2.2 million Palestinians were residing in the Gaza Strip an area of 365 km, representing about 41% of the population of Palestine. Most of this population (about 66%) are refugees, about two million Palestinians left their homes out of about 2.2 million Palestinians who were residing in the Gaza Strip on the eve of the Israeli occupation aggression, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is facing Israeli plans to target the body of the United Nations Foundation, which witnesses the case of more than 6 million Palestinian refugees and provides services to them in its five areas of operations (Gaza Strip, West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon).
The importance of UNRWA for Palestinians goes beyond access to vital services, as they see its existence as linked to the preservation of their rights as refugees, especially their hope to return to the homes from which they or their ancestors were expelled during the Nakba.
Earlier on July 12, the Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa, and Overseas Indian Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Muktesh Pardeshi, represented India at the High-Level Conference in Amman on ‘Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza’.
The secretary highlighted India’s ongoing humanitarian, capacity-building, and developmental efforts.
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