New York: State of Kuwait has called on the international community anew to provide funding for UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in order to help protect Palestinians from poverty and unemployment, as well as provide basic needs.
Supporting UNRWA will guarantee sustainable development for Palestinian refugees, Attache Mohammad Al-Sawwagh said, via investing in sectors of health and education as well as giving Palestinian refugees a chance to have a better future and decent life.
Al-Sawwagh, addressing UN General Assembly's fourth committee late Tuesday to discuss UNRWA, reaffirmed Kuwait's firm support for the UN agency and the Palestinian people.
"The Palestinian cause is still at the central stage of the Arab and Islamic worlds, and the Palestinian refugees question is at its top," he said and underlined importance of the right of the Palestinians in line with UN General Assembly resolution 194 and Arab peace initiative.
Al-Sawwagh commended UNRWA workers who have been functioning in "difficult and extraordinary circumstances" to provide services for more than 5.7 million Palestinian refugees in its five operation zones.
He rejected undermining the mandate of UNRWA nor transfer of its authorities to another agency.
Al-Sawwagh expressed concern over the "difficult conditions" in the Palestinian refugee camps specially in Syria, Lebanon and occupied Palestinian territories.
He condemned the Israeli occupation authorities' systematic attempts to hamper services of UNRWA, as well as closure of its centers in Al-Quds.
The Israeli occupation authorities are full responsible for the downgrading of UNRWA services due to their "illegal and immoral" practices against the Palestinian refugees, he said, and called for extending UNRWA's mandate.