On Friday, Switzerland pledged 40 million francs ($42.5 million) to support Palestinian refugees through the United Nations agency, UNRWA.
The country’s Federal Council said, in a statement, that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees “UNRWA will receive 20 million Swiss francs annually for the years 2023 and 2024.”
“With this aid, Switzerland reaffirms its commitment to human development, humanitarian action and regional stability,” the statement added.
According to the Swiss government, 96 percent of the Palestinian refugees still living in Syria depend on UNRWA humanitarian assistance for their survival.
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In Lebanon, 73 percent of the Palestinian refugees live below the poverty line, according to the same source.
The government also said that UNRWA plays a “major role as a stabilizing factor in the region”.
“The situation of Palestinian refugees in the region, particularly in Lebanon and Syria, has been exacerbated by conflicts over the past decade,” she added.
The Council also stressed that the 710 schools run by UNRWA in the area serve about 540,000 children, and there are 143 primary health care centers run by the Agency in the area, providing 3.1 million Palestine refugees with access to high-quality health services every year.
