Egyptian Red Crescent donates food and medicine for refugees in Gaza

 


19 January 2012
Gaza

UNRWA has received an in-kind contribution of rice, flour, and sunflower oil from the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) for distribution to poor refugees in Gaza. The contribution comprises 9 tonnes of rice, 30 tonnes of flour, and 2.08 tonnes of sunflower oil. In addition, the ERC has sent a consignment of 20 cartons of medicine for use in UNRWA¡¯s health centres in Gaza.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi welcomed this contribution, stating ¡°this donation demonstrates once again the steadfast support of the Egyptian people for the people of the Gaza Strip.¡±

¡°On behalf of the refugees UNRWA serves, I thank the Egyptian Red Crescent Society for this generous contribution. I look forward to continuing the longstanding partnership between our organizations in order to maintain support to Palestine refugees in need until such time as a just and lasting solution to their plight has been achieved.¡±

ENDS

 

Background information
UNRWA provides assistance, protection and advocacy for nearly 5 million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory, pending a solution to their plight. The Agency¡¯s services encompass education, health care, social safety-net, camp infrastructure and improvement, community support, microfinance and emergency response, including in times of armed conflict.

UNRWA is funded almost entirely by contributions from States. The Agency¡¯s core budget for 2010-2011 stands at $1.23 billion. In 2009, emergency appeals for the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon amounted to $827.4 million.

For more information please contact:
Christopher Gunness

UNRWA Spokesperson
Mobile: +972 (0) 54 240 2659
Office: +972 (0) 2 589 0267
c.gunness@unrwa.org

Sami Mshasha
UNRWA Arabic Spokesperson
Mobile: +972 (0) 54 216 8295
Office: +972 (0) 2 589 0724
s.mshasha@unrwa.org