12/11/2020 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 11 November, the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, announced a further EU contribution of €4.6 million to the budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). With this announcement, the Union's contribution for 2020 reaches €102.3 million. The additional funds will be used by the UN agency to maintain its food assistance operations and core health services according to a European Commission press release. “It’s important that those donors that have not already done so step up their funding and shift to multiannual financial commitments like the EU”, emphasised Mr Várhelyi. On 9 November, before the European Parliament, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, asked for additional funds to be able to pay the agency's employees, urging that multiannual partnerships should be concluded (see EUROPE 12599/28). (CG)