Brussels, 25/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 24 September, the European Union announced another €8 million in aid for Syrian refugees in Palestine and Lebanon. This funding (€6 million for emergency education and €2 million for housing aid) will go to UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency). The two agreements were signed by UNRWA commissioner general, Filippo Grandi, and Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
According to UNRWA, around 45,000 Palestinian refugees have fled Syria where they were taking refuge in order to move to Lebanon because of the Syrian conflict (mid-August 2013 figures). These refugees are very dependent on the host community and on UNRWA, and need humanitarian aid in a number of domains including protection, emergency funds for food, accommodation and winter clothes, non-food articles, health care, emergency education, psychosocial support and environmental health, the European Commission states in a press release.
On 24 September, Füle also signed four agreements for a further €34 million for education in Lebanon. This funding will go to Unicef (see EUROPE 10925). (CG/transl.fl)