Yesterday, Ambassador of Italy in Lebanon Nicoletta Bombardiere, and the Director of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Affairs in Lebanon, Claudio Cordone, signed an agreement for an additional contribution of EUR 1 million to the 2020 UNRWA Syria Regional Crisis Emergency Appeal in Lebanon from the Government of Italy.
This new critical funding will enable UNRWA to continue providing support to health care and cash assistance for Palestine refugee most in need of assistance in Lebanon. It will support hospitalization to over 380 Palestinian refugees from Syria (PRS) and multipurpose cash assistance to around 2,450 Palestinian refugee families from Syria displaced to Lebanon.
Mr. Cordone said: “I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Government of Italy for their support that will enable the Agency to continue to provide life-saving services to PRS in Lebanon while addressing their immediate needs in response to COVID-19. Contributions from Italy have made a significant difference to the lives of many thousands of Palestine refugees whose living conditions have worsened because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis in Lebanon.”
Ambassador Bombardiere stressed the importance of the UNRWA’s services in Lebanon and said: “Italy recognizes the enormous efforts of the Lebanese Government to host vulnerable refugees, and will continue to support its endeavors. With the agreement we signed, Italy confirms its commitment to sustain the commendable actions undertaken by UNRWA in the country, also in the context of the COVID-19 emergency. A vision that places the vulnerable people at the center of the Italian aid policy”.
The Government of Italy has long been one of the Agency’s most reliable donors. Between 2017-2019, UNRWA received EUR 5.25 million from Italy in support of the Agency’s assistance to Palestine refugees in Lebanon, as well as the reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared refugee camp. This ongoing reconstruction project still requires some US$ 51 million in funding for completion.
Ms. Donatella Procesi, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in Lebanon, said: “Support to UNRWA has been always one of the core activities of the Italian Cooperation. In the last few years, we have decided to support healthcare and lifesaving health assistance to the thousands of Palestinian Refugees fleeing from the civil war in Syria. A choice that is in line with our
commitment to be always beside the most vulnerable people”.