The Government of Luxembourg signed on Thursday a multi-year Strategic Partnership Agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Under the 2022-24 Strategic Partnership Framework, Luxembourg will contribute EUR 12.3 million assistance in support of the Agency’s operations over a three-year period. Luxembourg’s donation will help UNRWA continue to provide critical support, including education and healthcare services, to Palestine refugees across the Agency’s five fields of operations.

In response to the signing, Luxembourg Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, Franz Fayot, remarked: “I am very happy to announce that the Government of Luxembourg has decided to renew its strategic partnership in support of the Agency’s work during the period 2022-2024. This strategic partnership represents our determined commitment and solidarity to Palestine refugees at a time when the Middle East continues to experience serious humanitarian crisis, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini noted: “This multi-year agreement offers UNRWA vital financial predictability to counter continuing funding gaps. On behalf of the Agency, I would like to thank the Government of Luxembourg for its generous contribution in support of the Palestine refugee community. We deeply appreciate the steadfast and strategic cooperation that UNRWA and the Government of Luxembourg have developed over the years.”

The Government of Luxembourg is a long-standing donor to UNRWA. In 2020, the Government of Luxembourg was the overall 25th largest contributor to the Agency, offering vital support at a time when UNRWA faced an existential crisis affecting its critical services to Palestine refugees across the Middle East, in light of current funding challenges.