24 December 2014

Gaza

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided UNRWA
with 137 cubic meters of chlorine, which is essential for water and
sanitation activities in UNRWA-managed collective centres in the Gaza
Strip.

“JICA has always been a great supporter of UNRWA and the Palestine
refugees,” said Director of UNRWA Operations in Gaza Robert Turner.
“We are very grateful to receive this donation in support of hygiene
activities at the UNRWA-managed collective centres, where almost
19,000 internally-displaced people are living and dependent on UNRWA
for all their basic needs. We welcome this contribution and look
forward to continuing cooperation with JICA.”

JICA, the Japanese government agency for development aid, has been
supporting education, health, infrastructure and economic development
for the people in Gaza and actively responding to the emergency since
the summer’s conflict. During August, JICA donated 870 food parcels to
UNRWA, enough to help more than 5,000 displaced individuals survive
for three days. This new support for UNRWA water and sanitation
activities builds on sanitation training that UNRWA staff received in
Japan, by providing chlorine detergent for the 18 collective centres
that are still temporary homes to almost 19,000 internally-displaced
people. These recent in-kind contributions are equivalent to almost
US$ 60,000 in total. In addition, JICA employees personally donated
US$ 9,300 for the Gaza emergency relief during the hostilities in Gaza
this summer.

JICA Palestine Office chief representative Izumi Tanaka noted that
emergency needs in Gaza remain enormous and said he hopes the JICP
contribution will help improve the condition of the shelters during
the cold season. Mr. Tanaka said JICA will continue to support urgent
reconstruction needs in Gaza.

JICA generously supports UNRWA health care, education, water and
sanitation, camp improvement and energy efficiency based on a
partnership agreement between the two agencies signed in August 2011.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly
in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a
population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its
mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West
Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human
development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services
encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp
infrastructure and improvement, and microfinance.

Financial support to UNRWA has not kept pace with an increased demand
for services caused by growing numbers of registered refugees,
expanding need, and deepening poverty. As a result, the Agency’s
General Fund (GF), supporting UNRWA’s core activities and 97 per cent
reliant on voluntary contributions, has begun each year with a large
projected deficit. Currently the deficit stands at US$ 35 million.

For more information, please contact:

Christopher Gunness
UNRWA Spokesperson
Mobile:
+972 (0)54 240 2659
Office:
+972 (0)2 589 0267
c.gunness@unrwa.org(link sends e-mail)
Sami Mshasha
Chief of Communications & Arabic Language Spokesperson
Mobile:
+972 (0)54 216 8295
Office:
+972 (0)2 589 0724
s.mshasha@unrwa.org

http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/press-releases/jica-supports-sanitation-internally-displaced-persons-gaza