PM: Jordan to press donors to help UNRWA

Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh on Tuesday met United Nations Relief and Works Agency UNRWA Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi and said his government would intercede with donor nations to offer aid to the agency that cares for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East. Tarawneh voiced the hope that the international community would pursue support of UNRWA’s humanitarian mission and that the world’s recognition of the agency’s role would translate into tangible action. He said Jordan looked forward to international support as the biggest host of refugees as historically being a safe haven receiving wave after wave of people seeking refuge. Grandi gave a briefing on basic education, health and relief services UNRWA offers to refugees and its future plans in that regard, referring to the agency’s cash crunch and the need for donors to pay their dues to help the agency pursue its services. He said the agency pinned high hopes on Jordan’s international political and diplomatic relations to help secure support for its budget.