Jordan's Senate concerned with UNRWA funding shortfall

The Jordanian Senate on Saturday stressed that suspension or cancellation of any service of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) would compromise the security and stability of the countries that host the Palestinian refugees, especially Jordan.

In a statement on Saturday, the senate said that UNRWA services are the responsibility of the international community in accordance with the international legitimacy resolutions concerned with the Palestinian issue.

It's not acceptable to put the onus on the countries that host the refugees rather than on the whole international community, the statement said.

"We are following with concern the shortage in the UNRWA funding", the senate said, calling on the donor countries to sustain their commitments to support the Palestinians and UNRWA.

UNRWA has warned in a report addressed to the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, that “unless funding for the full amount of the Agency’s General Fund shortfall of $101 million is secured by the middle of August, the financial crisis may force the suspension of services relating to the Agency’s education program”.

More than 2 million registered Palestine refugees live in Jordan.

Most Palestine refugees in Jordan, but not all, have full citizenship. There are ten recognized Palestine refugee camps throughout the country, which accommodate nearly 370,000 Palestine refugees, or 18 per cent of the country total. Jordan hosts the largest number of Palestine refugees of all of the UNWRA fields.