(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency)
Doha, March 19 (QNA) - The Health Communication and Community-Based Initiative Officer at the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Dr. Yasser Turkic praised Qatar's generous and sustained efforts to support the Palestinian people at the levels of government and charities funding.
In a statement to (Arrayah) newspaper published Sunday, Dr. Turkic hailed the efforts of the State of Qatar in supporting UNRWA's work in the occupied territories, stressing that Qatar has contributed widely in serving the Palestinian people.
He pointed out that the 2306 Qatari-funded housing units in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, at a total of $120 million, helped Palestinian people enhance their stability and security hence, enabling them to think about education, health and other aspects of life.
He pointed out that although interest in the Palestinian cause declined due new crises in the region and the concentration of donor countries' efforts on these crises, Qatar's aid is continuous and permanently present.
The Health Communication and Community-Based Initiative Officer at UNRWA said that Qatar supports the UNRWA in many humanitarian and development projects that benefit Palestinian people and contribute significantly to ease their burden.
In this context, he said that UNRWA's Commissioner-General seeks to strengthen partnership cooperation and join effective efforts between the UN and Qatari government to support Palestinians.
About the services provided by UNRWA to Palestinian people, Dr. Yassir Turki said that UNRWA provides assistance, protection and advocacy for some 5 million Palestinian refugees in the occupied Palestinian territories, including 3 million in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
He added that there are 700 schools and 143 health centers and hospitals in Qalqilya in the West Bank, as well as social services to help the poorest families and a service center for camps and infrastructure.
He also noted that UNRWA has an annual budget of $700 million and is covered by the UN member countries, especially the EU and US, adding that almost all UNRWA's funding comes from voluntary contributions of UN member states.
He added that the Agency has experienced a budget deficit of $100 million in 2017 and that any increase in this deficit means a great disaster in light of the needs of the Palestinian people of services in all sectors.
Dr. Turki stressed the fact that humanitarian work shouldn't be judgedfrom political perspectives, ruling out the transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem and there is no alternative to end the conflict until the Palestinian people get their full rights.
Regarding the inability of implementing the two-state solution, he stressed that the optimal solution is the declaration of the independence of the State of Palestine officially and the Israeli side and the international community should accept that, noting that this is an elusive solution, but this is the solution. (QNA)
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