Arab League calls on Arab countries to support UNRWA

CAIRO, June 13 (KUNA) -- The League of Arab States called on Arab countries on Wednesday to donate for The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Arab League Secretary-General Ahmad Aboul-Gheit received a letter from UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl describing the agency's difficult financial situation, especially after the United States decided to cut its contribution to the agency's funding since last January, the Arab League said in a statement. "The deficit in UNRWA budget reached an unprecedented level of USD 446 million, which affected the educational services provided by the agency to about half a million Palestinian children in the camps and it also effected the medical services provided to about 3.5 million Palestinian children." The statement mentioned. Aboul-Gheit stressed the necessity of the donation to help UNRWA with its financial crisis and that before the beginning of the school year on September. The Secretary-General also called all the Arab countries to contribute and support UNRWA agency to avoid more human crisis in the Gaza Strip. Aboul-Gheit praised the generous Arabic efforts that reached about USD 150 million by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. (end) aff.aa