Malta has pledged €55,000 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the United Nations organisation that provides humanitarian assistance to 5 million Palestine refugees.

The donation was confirmed  by Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela during a speech at the FAO Headquarters in Rome.

Malta already provides support to Palestinian capacity building through a number of scholarships for Masters degrees in diplomatic studies, conflict resolution, cultural heritage, and humanitarian action.

The conference ‘Preserving Dignity and Sharing Responsibility - Mobilising Collective Action for UNRWA’ was co-chaired by the Foreign Ministers of Jordan, Sweden, and Egypt and included the special participation of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini to alleviate UNRWA’s current financial challenges that threaten its future operations.

UNRWA’s work is increasingly more relevant in view of the deteriorating circumstances threatening security, stability, and peace in the wider region covering not just Palestine but also Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria that all host thousands of Palestine refugees.

Mr Abela reiterated Malta’s long-standing call for all parties involved to engage in a meaningful peace process that also addresses the plight of these refugees.