Palestinians in Gaza are bearing the brunt of the horrible battle between Israel and Hamas (File)

Jerusalem:

Amid the continuing conflict in Gaza, India on Thursday launched the second tranche of two.5 million US {dollars} to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), fulfilling its annual dedication of 5 million US {dollars} for the yr 2023-24.

UNRWA, purposeful since 1950, carries out direct reduction and works programmes for registered Palestinian refugees.

It is funded nearly solely by voluntary contributions from UN member states.

The Government of India had launched the primary tranche of its annual dedication in November, a couple of month in the past.

Press Release

India offers US$ 2.5 million to UNRWA for the welfare of Palestinian Refugees. #IndiaPalestine@MEAIndia@IndianDiplomacy@pmofa@WAFANewsEnglish@WAFA_PS@palestinetv95pic.twitter.com/pWuy5Qpb6T

— India in Palestine – الهند في فلسطين (@ROIRamallah) December 28, 2023

The UN company is struggling to maintain up its functioning in the midst of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and had appreciated and welcomed India’s “generous contribution” final month coming at a troublesome time, notably in Gaza.

Palestinians in Gaza are bearing the brunt of the horrible battle between Israel and Hamas, which has been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007 for the reason that October 7 assault by the group on Israel, prompting it to pound the territory to its southwest with continued air and floor strikes.

“UNRWA received a very generous contribution from India which is most welcome during these difficult times and in the face of huge needs across the region, particularly in Gaza,” a spokesperson for UNRWA, Tamara Alrifai, informed information company PTI final month in a textual content message from Amman.

India’s help is supposed to assist the company’s core programmes and providers, together with schooling, healthcare, reduction and social providers supplied to Palestinian refugees.

The second tranche of the contribution was handed over to UNRWA by Charge deAffaires Elizabeth Rodrigues, a press assertion from the Representative Office of India in Palestine stated.

New Delhi has underlined its continued help for the company’s actions within the area and the providers it offers to the Palestinian Refugees.

Earlier on November 19, India had delivered 32 tonnes of “humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine” by way of the El-Arish Airport in Egypt.

Since 2018, India has given USD 30 million to UNRWA.

During an Extraordinary Virtual Ministerial Pledging Conference for UNRWA held on June 23, 2020, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, introduced that India will contribute USD 10 million to UNRWA over the following two years.

Since the October 7 assault by Hamas on Israel and the retaliatory motion by Israel, greater than two-thirds of the Gaza inhabitants – of roughly 2.3 million – have fled their houses to maneuver southwards.

The UNRWA has been struggling to supply fundamental providers to tons of of 1000’s of individuals in shelters.

Before the conflict in Gaza, UNRWA was already dealing with an elevated demand for providers ensuing from a development within the variety of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability, and their deepening poverty. The company is remitted to supply help and safety to some 5.6 million Palestine refugees registered with it throughout its 5 fields of operation.

Its mission is to assist Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, together with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip obtain their full human improvement potential, pending a simply and lasting resolution to their plight.

UNRWA providers embody schooling, well being care, reduction and social providers, camp infrastructure and enchancment, safety, and microfinance amongst Palestinian refugees.

During the first-ever Indian Prime Minister’s go to to Palestine in February 2018, India elevated its annual monetary contribution four-fold to the UNRWA core price range, from USD 1.25 million to USD 5 million.

India has additionally made a powerful attraction to different conventional donors of UNRWA to contemplate enhancing their contributions in addition to to non-donor member states to contemplate contributing to the company in solidarity with the Palestine refugees.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)