The Government of Japan contributed an additional $7 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Sunday.

In a statement, the UN organisation said that $4.5 million will enable the agency to continue providing health care for Palestine refugees most in need of assistance in Lebanon and will support the hospitalisation to 6,000 Palestine refugees from Syria (PRS) and multi-purpose cash assistance to those displaced to Lebanon.

In addition, $1.5 million will contribute to the agency’s humanitarian response to support Palestine refugees displaced from Yarmouk camp after eight years of conflict in Syria and another $1 million will be used for the provision of WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) services for nearly 200,000 Palestine refugees in Lebanon.

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The Japanese Ambassador for Palestinian Affairs and Representative of Japan to Palestine, Takeshi Okubo, said: “I am very happy to share with you that the Government of Japan has decided to contribute $7 million to UNRWA for the project entitled ‘Emergency Grant Aid in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and Lebanon’ that is followed by the recent commitment of Japan to contribute $23 million to UNRWA from the supplementary budget of FY 2018.”

We are determined more than ever to send a message to Palestine refugees through the assistance that ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed. Japan will be there with you’ at a time when the region is experiencing serious humanitarian crisis.

The Chief Donor Relations Division of UNRWA, Marc Lassouaoui, thanked Okubo for his personal commitment to the agency and the Palestine refugees, stressing that “the Government of Japan has been exemplary in its support to the agency.”

He noted: “We deeply appreciate this very generous gesture towards this vulnerable community.”