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EU vows to continue support to UNRWA

BRUSSELS, Jan 17 (KUNA) -- The European Union (EU) underlined Wednesday that it will continue its support to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA.
The vow came following a recent announcement by the US to cut its funding to the agency by half.
"The EU and its institutions have provided reliable support to UNRWA since 1971 and our support continues," Maja Kocijancic, spokesperson for EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, told a news conference today.
She noted that the EU is the largest multilateral provider of financial assistance to Palestinian refugees and the EU and its member states collectively are the largest contributors to UNRWA for its humanitarian appeals and projects.
She recalled that last year the EU and UNRWA signed a joint declaration for new support to UNRWA covering the period 2017 to 2020.
She added that Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas will meet EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday to discuss the future of the Middle East Peace Process. (end) nk.mt