Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 7 September 2018
76. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the decision by the United States of America to cease funding to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East; the actions he will take in view of this decision; if he has made his views regarding this decision known to the US administration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36852/18]
View answerI deeply regret the US decision to cease funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and I made my views clear in my public statement on 1 September. I believe that this move is dangerous and will only have a negative effect on the Middle East region, and I have explicitly expressed my concern in contacts with the US administration.
I have witnessed first-hand the vital services that UNRWA provides to the Palestinian people, not just in Gaza and the West Bank, but across the region. Entire generations of refugees have benefitted from UNRWA’s provision of essential food, education, health care, relief and social services.
I have visited the region three times since assuming my position as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, including a visit to Gaza in January where I met with UNRWA’s Commissioner General, Pierre Krähenbühl, and reconfirmed Ireland’s commitment to UNRWA. In Gaza, I saw for myself the challenges on the ground for UNRWA and the valuable work carried out by the Agency in delivering core services, especially in education and health, to some 5.3 million Palestine refugees, including over a million Gazans who depend on its assistance. The services that UNRWA provides are very necessary, and will remain necessary until a just and lasting solution is found.
Ireland has been a longstanding supporter of the critical work undertaken by UNRWA. In January, in recognition of the challenges facing UNRWA in implementing its programmes this year, Ireland brought forward its 2018 contribution to the Programme Budget. In June, I authorised a further contribution of €250,000 for UNRWA in response to the urgent appeal of the UN Secretary General, bringing Ireland’s total funding to UNRWA to €6 million this year, up from €5.5 million last year.
UNRWA’s work is being carried out in an ever more complex and demanding environment. The conflict in Syria has put additional strain on UNRWA’s operations in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, and the deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the ongoing occupation of the West Bank is resulting in continued hardship for refugees. As a consequence, the demand for UNRWA’s services has grown rapidly. The decision by the US to cease funding to UNRWA will undoubtedly exacerbate the Agency’s funding shortfall and threaten essential services. Ireland, together with our EU partners, will continue its assistance to the Palestinian people, including its support to UNRWA's services, while we will also continue our efforts to reach a two-state solution to the conflict.
