The Director of Affairs of UNRWA (United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees) in Syria, Michael Ebye Amanya, has called on the European Union on Wednesday 6 March to continue its support for the organisation, just a few days before the Brussels III Conference on Syria.
"We have a big challenge ahead of us in the shape of funding”, he told KUNA and EUROPE, asking for additional contributions from the EU. He noted that the UN agency had a "stabilisation role" to play in a “volatile region".
UNRWA launched an appeal in January 2019 for $221 million in funding to assist Palestinian refugees in Syria, by way of response to the Syrian crisis. While 120,000 Palestinian refugees have fled the war in Syria, 438,000 are still in the country; 52% of them are women and 31% are children. 95% of them also need sustainable humanitarian aid. In 2018, only 22% of the UN Agency's financing needs were covered.
In 2018, despite the cessation of US funding and thanks to EU support, UNRWA was able to continue providing cash financial assistance to Syrian refugees, although the amount did have to be reduced. More than 290,000 Palestinian refugees now receive $23 each month. “It is a very important programme, and it is important that the EU continues to support it”, he said. According to the director, if the Palestinians are no longer provided with assistance, they might take “desperate measures”, in particular, trying to reach Europe by boat.
When asked by EUROPE about the ongoing debate in Europe about the reconstruction of Syria, Mr Amanya was of the opinion that humanitarian reconstruction should be excluded from this debate. “Some aspects of reconstruction must wait, but others cannot wait. The international community must exempt humanitarian reconstruction from the debate”, he said. He also stressed the need, for example, to rebuild schools, clinics and homes for the most vulnerable people. “The conflict had a devastating impact”, he said, adding that two of the largest camps, including Yarmouk, where Palestinian refugees were living, had been destroyed.
The United Nations believes that, so far, the conditions for a safe, dignified and sustainable return of refugees have not been met. In 2018, 1,400 Palestinian refugees returned to Syria, 90 of which from Jordan. According to a UN survey, while 94% of Palestinian refugees currently in Lebanon want to return to Syria, only 4% want to do so in the near future. “We don’t encourage their return because we think the conditions are not there yet, but for those who are ready to return, we are ready to support them”, he explained, adding that UNRWA can also assist them with legal advice, for example, such as claiming property.
The EU High Representative has repeatedly explained that the EU's participation in reconstruction goes hand in hand with a political transition. Mr Amanya has said that others, such as Russia, China or Iran, “are betting on reconstruction”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)